Record Rainfall Drenches Hawaii
More than 2 feet of rain fell here in a 24-hour period as bands of thunderstorms moved up the island chain from the south Thursday.
The National Weather Service said 26.22 inches of rain fell at the Hilo airport, breaking the previous 24-hour record of 22.3 inches in 1979.
The downpour overflowed streams and gullies, flooded roadways throughout the downtown area and cut off several neighborhoods along the east side of the island of Hawaii. Homes were flooded and dozens of families took shelter in evacuation centers, said Wendell Hatada, a Hawaii County civil defense official.
Schools and most businesses were closed, and all but essential county and state workers were told to stay home. Several landslides were reported on the Hawaii Belt Highway, leading north along the Hamakua Coast, where streams turned into rivers and boiled with the fast-moving muddy water.
There were no reports of any storm-related deaths or injuries.
The continuing rain and flooding prevented any immediate assessment of the damage, Hatada said.
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