Madeline Skirts Hawaii's Big Island, Bringing Heavy Rain and Flooding, As Attention Turns to Lester

Ada Carr
Published: September 2,2016
After a weakened Tropical Storm Madeline struck a passing blow to Hawaii's Big Island, attention has turned to Hurricane Lester as it continues to move closer to nearly the same area.
Lester continues its west-northwest march across the Pacific and could impact Hawaii over the Labor Day weekend. The storm is expected to weaken as it approaches Hawaii.
Maui's public and charter schools, as well as state offices and courts, will close Friday at noon, according to Hawaii News Now. The closures are in response to the hurricane watches that were issued for several of the state's islands.
“Definitely we’re going to get from Lester high surf, definitely we’re going to get a lot of rain, but it’s the wind that I’m concerned about, and how much of it we’re going to get,” interim Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Ed Teixeira told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced Friday that campground on Oahu will remain open, the Associated Press reports. Emergency Management Director Mark Rigg is warning visitors to stay off of wet sand and ocean ledges. He says people who aren't experienced with the ocean should stay out of the water completely.
(MORE: Hurricane Hermine Impacts in Florida
Thursday crews worked to clear debris from streams and ditches on Oahu to help combat flooding and prepped roadways such as the Kamehameha Highway and Hana Highway, KHON2 reports.
Island Air announced that it will waive reservation change fees and differences in fares for customers that need to change their travel plans due to the storms, according to a release from the airline. Customers with tickets for travel from Aug. 31 through Sept. 4 will be allowed to change their reservations with no charge through Sept. 10.
Madeline failed to make a direct impact on Hawaii's Big Island after being downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Wednesday but did bring heavy rains and flooding to the area, forcing some road closures. About 5,500 people were without electricity because of downed power lines, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The heaviest rain fell on Hilo and Puna, which became a ghost town with businesses closed and people hunkered down to ride out the storm, according to KHON.
Storm surge from Madeline combined with the afternoon high tide sent waves of water across the roads in a subdivision in Kapoho, impacting about 50 homes.
"The whole waterfront is flooded by four or five feet of water anyway, and all the houses down there are inaccessible," Jim Lehner, a member of the community neighborhood watch, told the newspaper.
MORE: Tropical Storm Hermine – Florida, August 2016