Drought relief carries flood to Pukalani home
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KAHULUI - A cold front expected to bring rain to Maui County was slow in arriving, but when it did, it arrived with emphasis - at least for a Pukalani family whose home was caught again by an overflowing drainage ditch.
Most areas of Maui County received a soaking late Monday and Tuesday morning, after an upper- level trough interacted with the frontal system that had stalled over the islands, Maui weather analyst Glenn James said.
The Kalaupapa peninsula received 2.54 inches of rain Tuesday morning, while the Molokai Airport - in a drought stricken Hoolehua plain - recorded 1.26 inches.
Puu Kukui in the West Maui watershed recorded a ground-soaking 5.73 inches, while the West Wailua Iki gauge in the East Maui watershed showed 1.92 inches.
The heaviest rains fell over a three-hour period Tuesday morning, which had its effect on the family of Sallie Kuykendall, whose home is next to, and below, a drainage ditch alongside the Pukalani Elementary School campus.
Pukalani recorded 1.67 inches Tuesday, with 1.64 inches falling over a short period at around 8 a.m. The storm runoff filled the drainage ditch with debris that caused an overflow into the Kuykendall's yard and part of their home.
"It backed up at about 8 a.m., when the rains really started coming down," Kuykendall said. "It rained through the night but obviously not that hard. It began literally when we woke up. . . . It could have been 7, 8 o'clock. We had to call 911 because of the flood."
She said a Fire Department crew came to assist with the flooding and workers hauled out old campaign signs, palm tree branches and other kinds of debris from the plugged drainage channel while the rain pounded for about two hours.
Kuykendall said her family has repeatedly complained to state and Maui County officials about debris in the drainage channel but have not had any agency acknowledge responsibility for keeping it clear.
The drought-relieving rain came on a cold front that swept over Kauai and Oahu during the weekend, before it stalled just short of Maui County, James said.
