We are used to Rain in Hilo, but we Hate Floods

We have been offline since Friday due to some severe weather on the Big Island, Hawaii. Hilo experienced some major flooding in areas that previously were not known to have flood conditions, and in places that always floods such as the Bayfront road in Hilo. Roads and schools were closed and many outdoor events were canceled.

We are used to rain on the East side of Hawaii island, with the city of Hilo receiving a annual rainfall of 126 inches. In Keaau where we live, the rainfall total is 120-200 inches per year!

Rain is one thing put constant pouring buckets of rain is another. It was storming so hard at our home in Puna with loud cracks of thunder, that we unplugged the computer and moved it to another room--since we lost our computer to a lightning strike a few years ago.

Luckily we had lots of food and the power didn't go off although we did have a couple of "brown outs". If you live on the Big Island, a brown out is when the electric lights in your home go dim for a second than come back on. For that moment you hold your breath and hope it won't turn into a "black out" meaning no power at all.

The east side of the Big Island has been one big soggy mess with Waiakea Uka (upper mountain area of Hilo) receiving over 20" of rain on Saturday. It feels like we must have received that much also.

Visit my friend Richard Ha's blog for a first hand account of the Hilo Flood 2008 with lots of photographs like the one above.

Comments

[Evelyn]

I was just thinking about you last night and I was hoping you weren't having to swim out your front door! I did have a feeling your computer was without power but I had no idea how serious things were getting in your neck of the woods!

The Big Island has had enough drama recently to last them for at least a couple of years!

[Bobbie]

Funny, while you guys were practically drowning over on the East side of the island, over here on the Kohala Coast we only got some light rain -- plus some very heavy overcast for days. (The solar hot water heater was struggling, after the third straight day of grey skies.) Still looking pretty cloudy outside...

[Ken]

Sorry to hear about your rain and floods. I hope you are drying out now. Here in NW Florida we have had unusual cold for the past several weeks and we are sooooo ready for summer weather.

[HawaiiVacationGifts]

Hi Everyone,
And now we have vog and sulphur dioxide to contend with:( Luckily it has not blown over our way, and I hope it never does.

[Jack]

sorry to hear about the water problems...we had some flooding up here recently

[HawaiiVacationGifts]

Thank you for commenting Jack. I hope everything is back to normal in Virginia now.