Categorized | Hurricane, News

Tropical Storm Iselle post-impact update for Saturday (Aug 9)

Hawaii 24/7 Staff

UPDATED 6:15 P.M. SATURDAY, AUG. 9

County officials said they still have not inspected many side roads in and around lower Puna and cannot estimate when services will be restored.

Along with county crews and National Guard units, private contractors have been drafted into helping clear pathways through downed trees and poles. HELCO is expecting re-inforcements from Oahu and Maui as soon as they become available.

In addition, residents are helping out with recovery operations in neighborhoods that felt the brunt of the storm’s wind and rain.

County has received no reports of residents either missing or unaccounted for, although they urge anyone to call police if they are worried about neighbors or loved ones.

Pahoa High School has been turned into a drive-through distribution center for ice, water and tarps. Officials are urging people not to leave their vehicles, as supplies will be transferred directly from containers into trunks or truck beds.

At 6 p.m., 18,000 lbs. of ice was expected to arrive at the campus. Once that is gone, the county will close down the distribution center and kick it back up at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Also, Pahoa Community Center will stay open 24/7 for residents to shower and use the power outlets to charge up cell phones and personal devices.

There is no estimate of total damage from Tropical Storm Iselle and that figure likely be not be tallied for some time.

UPDATED 5 P.M. SATURDAY, AUG. 9

Civil Defense: HELCO reports that approximately 9,200 customers are still without power, and crews continue working to restore power.

Please do not interfere with the operations of HELCO crews.

Distribution of water, ice, and tarps continues at the new Pahoa High School Gym. The distribution will continue while supplies last. R

esidents should stay in their vehicles and make their way through the line.

The Pahoa Pool and Pahoa Community Center will also remain open 24 hours for residents to take showers and charge cell phones.

The pool is not open for swimming.

The American Red Cross has opened a shelter at Aunty Sally’s Lu’au House in Hilo for those who were displaced by storm damage. As with all shelters, bring bedding and provisions for you and your family. No pets are allowed in this shelter.

As our recovery efforts continue, we thank everyone for their consideration, patience and understanding.

UPDATED 3:30 P.M. SATURDAY, AUG. 9

This is a civil defense message.

This is a Community Assessment and Assistance information update for Saturday August 9th at 11:30AM.

In the post impact of Hurricane Iselle, the following next steps and actions will be taken:

1 County and National Guard Damage Assessment Teams are conducting damage assessments in areas that appear to have been hardest hit by Hurricane Iselle, including Lower Puna. Residents are asked to cooperate with the teams as they conduct the assessments.

2 County, National Guard, and private crews are clearing debris from roads to reestablish access into affected areas. We thank the community for their help and assistance with the clearing of the roads and the removal of trees and debris. Please remember to avoid all downed power lines, and to assume that all downed lines are energized and dangerous.

3 HELCO crews continue working to restore power to affected areas. About 9,000 customers are still without power. We thank you for your patience and understanding with this effort. Please do not interfere with the operations of HELCO crews.

4 The State Department of Health advises residents to discard all perishable food in refrigerators and freezers if that food has been at room temperature for longer than two hours. Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water or other contaminants. Undamaged, commercially canned foods can be used.

5 The Pahoa Pool and Pahoa Community Center are open for residents to take showers and charge cell phones. The pool is not open for swimming. Again, we ask everyone for consideration, patience and understanding.

6 . Additional distribution sites are being identified and will be communicated as soon as set.

7 Residents who sustained damage to their homes and want to proceed with repairs are advised to make contact with their insurance providers, and to photograph and document all damage and repairs. This will aid with recovery in the event that government assistance programs are made available.

Please monitor your local radio stations for continued updates and information.

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Crews still working Saturday to restore power in: Hawaiian Paradise Park, Puna, Orchidland Estates, Leilani Estates, Nanawale, Kapoho, Kalapana, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, Waipunahina, and small pockets from Hamakua through Volcano.

BROWN WATER ADVISORY

State officials issued a brown water advisory Saturday for Hawaii County.

State Department of Health officials are cautioning against ocean recreation at this time.

Although flood and storm water runoff may not be brown, the public is advised to stay out of flood waters and storm water runoff due to possible overflowing cesspools, sewer manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals, and associated flood debris.

Turbid water runoff have been known to attract sharks due to possible dead animals being washed into the ocean.

HVNP OPEN

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is open Saturday, Aug. 9, with some closures in effect as park officials assess damage and remove fallen trees and other debris from roadways and trails following Tropical Storm Iselle.

The following closures are in effect:

– The Kahuku Unit will remain closed through the weekend and today’s Palm Trail hike is canceled.

– Chain of Craters Road, from Devastation Trail parking lot to the coast

– All backcountry areas, including Mauna Loa and cabins

– Mauna Loa Road (known locally as “Mauna Loa Strip Road”)

– All coastal areas and trails, including, Apua Point, Keauhou, Halape, and Kaaha

– Kulanaokuaiki campsite

– Napau campsite

– Namakanipaio campgrounds and its A-frame cabins

Power has been restored, and phones are working. Kilauea Visitor Center and the Jaggar Museum will open and be staffed from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

“Visitors should prepare for limited services and some front-country trail closures as we mobilize back into operation and continue to assess damage,” Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando said.

Volcano House and Kilauea Military Camp are open.

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DLNR OPENS SOME AREAS

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) announces limited openings of its state-managed park and forest lands in the wake of the Iselle storm system.

Some areas will remain closed as a precautionary measure for public safety until personnel can assess the areas for damage such as downed trees and make any necessary repairs.

Status updates will be provided as soon as they are available.

AREAS REMAINING CLOSED:

· All areas managed by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), including forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, natural area reserves, forest hiking trails, and game management areas, until further notice

· County of Hawaii – Lava Tree State Monument and MacKenzie State Recreation Area

· County of Maui – Makena State Park (but will open at noon today)

· City and County of Honolulu – Aiea Loop Trail

· County of Kauai – All state parks remain closed

ALL OTHER STATE PARKS ARE OPEN

DOFAW and the Division of State Parks continue to suspend issuance of camping permits for state forest and park campgrounds.

Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) small boat harbors remain open.

The public is asked to remain cautious. Storm impacts continue to affect the islands, including flooding, high wind, wave actions, and muddy trail conditions.

—

LIBRARIES WITH SATURDAY HOURS REOPEN

With Tropical Storm Iselle no longer posing a threat to the Hawaiian Islands, all public libraries with Saturday hours, except for Makawao Public Library (Maui), have reopened Saturday, Aug. 9.

Patrons should contact public libraries with Sunday hours prior to scheduling a visit due to the uncertainty of Hurricane Julio.

Programs, storytimes, and events scheduled this weekend are still subject to cancellation. Contact the hosting library for more information.

For updated information, visit the HSPLS website at www.librarieshawaii.org

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO RESUME MONDAY; WAIAKEA HIGH TO RESUME TUESDAY

The state Department of Education (DOE) will resume regular public school schedules and student activities on Monday, Aug. 11, with the exception of Waiakea High.

Dozens of DOE schools served as emergency shelters from Thursday, Aug. 7 through Saturday, Aug. 9.

An estimated 400 individuals sought shelter at Waiakea High during those days. Waiakea High staff will report to work Monday to get the school back in order for students’ return Tuesday.

“Our employees, especially our Complex Area Superintendents and principals worked around the clock in caring for students and school communities during the stormy weather,” Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said. “We appreciate their dedication in going above and beyond to help with the emergency needs of our communities.”

Hawaii Island facilities reported minimal damage due to strong winds; however, most of DOE facilities were not affected by the storm.

DOE officials continue to monitor Hurricane Julio, which is north of the state.

Keep up to date with DOE’s latest announcements at HawaiiPublicSchools.org

For information on Charter Schools, visit http://www.chartercommission.hawaii.gov/

—

STATE COURTHOUSES, JUDICIARY OFFICES TO REOPEN MONDAY

All State Courthouses and Judiciary Offices will reopen for business as usual on Monday, Aug. 11.

If weather conditions change, further announcements will be made.

UPDATED 3:03 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. August 9, 2014

UPDATED 8:32 a.m., August 9, 2014

Hawaii County Civil Defense Message for August 9, 2014

HELCO MEDIA RELEASE HILO, Aug. 9, 2014 (12:15 a.m.) – Hawai‘i Electric Light crews have been working to safely restore power to customers who have lost electricity as a result of Tropical Storm Iselle.

Crews brought back power to 3,400 customers over the last few hours by restoring the south transmission line tie as well as distribution circuits between Keaau to Pahala. At this time, an estimated 9,200 customers remain out of power in Hawaiian Paradise Park, Orchidland Estates, Leilani Estates, Nanawale, Kapoho, Kalapana, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, and Waipunahina. Crews are still working to restore power in the Waipunahina area tonight.

Customers experiencing an outage in a location that is not listed should call 969-6666 to report the outage. We’re advising customers who are currently out of power to prepare for extended outages, which could last through the weekend and in some cases, particularly the lower Puna area, much longer.

We sincerely appreciate our customers’ understanding and patience as our crews continue to work to restore power as quickly as is safely possible.

Hawai‘i Electric Light reminds customers to stay away from downed power lines. Assume they are energized, or “live,” and dangerous. If you see someone injured after touching a downed power line, call 9-1-1 for help, but do not approach the injured person.

2 Responses to “Tropical Storm Iselle post-impact update for Saturday (Aug 9)”

  1. Paul says:

    This was NOT a tropical storm. It landed on the Big Island of Hawai’i as a Hurricane. Not a tropical storm. To tell people otherwise is miss information. It was torn apart by the mountains as it moved farther in land and then became a tropical storm. But that was only AFTER it landed on our Island.

    • Baron says:

      The offical statement from the National Weather Service, NOAA, Central Pacific Hurricane Center is, “As of now, we are calling Iselle a tropical storm at landfall. Over the next few months we will be doing a post-analysis of the storm based on any new data that we have. Once that analysis is complete and the report is finalized, we may (or may not) change the designation of Iselle at landfall.”

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