6 Rescued, Homes Lost in Oahu Floods

Torrential rain socked Hawaii’s main island Thursday, and rescuers used a helicopter and boats to save six people from homes that were washed away by raging water.

It was the second day of flooding on Oahu Island. Runoff from heavy rain flooded hundreds of homes on the island’s northeast and north shores Wednesday.

Thursday’s rain was heaviest on the island’s south side, where Honolulu is situated. Streams draining into Pearl Harbor and crossing the island’s central plain were swollen with runoff, authorities said.

Three homes were knocked off their foundations and carried down Waiawa stream in suburban Pearl City, 10 miles west of Honolulu, Civil Defense spokesman Joe Reed said. There were no reports of injuries.

“The homes were bobbing in the water,” Reed said. “We have pretty well confirmed that three houses were moved literally by water and moved down until they were kind of jammed up against trees and brush.”

A Honolulu Fire Department helicopter rescued two people from houses just before dawn, about two hours after the homes were swept away, Reed said. Firefighters in boats rescued four other people from the homes.

Heavy rains have soaked Oahu for more than a week. More than 400 homes along Oahu’s northeast and north shores were flooded Wednesday after as much as 19 inches of rain fell.