County: Waterline repaired and service restored to Upper Kula

Crews deal with residual power, water issues in wake of storm

A county spokesperson said Thursday that water service was restored to Upper Kula after crews completed repairs to a water main damaged in the wake of the storm.

Many Upcountry residents have been without water since Sunday night after heavy rains filled gulches, knocked down trees and damaged electrical systems and waterlines. County spokesperson Brian Perry did not have an estimate of the number of customers who were without water through Thursday.

On Wednesday, Department of Water Supply crews were working to repair a water main break in Hapapa Gulch near Pulehu Road. A 12-inch pipe running through a retaining wall elevated eight feet above the ground needed to be repaired, and the department's crew had to construct a trestle to access the pipe, according to the county. The crew also needed to run an 8-inch pipe across the gulch, using a helicopter to move the pipe and other materials into place.

Perry said water main repairs were completed on Thursday, with waterlines flushed to remove dirt and then recharged to reestablish water service to Upper Kula.

Residents still in need of emergency repairs and updates can call the county at (808) 270-7633.

Meanwhile, Hawaiian Electric responded to about 35 individual pocket storm-related power outages in Upcountry and Kanaio on Thursday. Crews also completed emergency repairs to a pole that was damaged during the storm. About 1,900 customers from Peahi to East Maui were without electricity during repairs, but all were restored by 3 a.m., Hawaiian Electric said.

The Haleakala summit area will remain without power for an extended period of time, though the park reopened Tuesday.

Upcountry, which received nearly 13 inches of rain over a 24-hour period during the peak of the storm, was hit especially hard by water and power outages, while South Maui struggled with flooding and impacts to roads.

South Kihei Road, which was flooded and caked with mud and debris after the storm, is only open to local traffic from North Kihei Road to Kaonoulu Street as of Thursday afternoon, according to Perry, who explained that undermining of the makai travel lane makes it unsafe to open fully. Cleanup of mud and debris will continue over the next couple of days. Perry said he was unsure when the undermined portion of the road could be stabilized so the road could fully reopen.

Mayor Michael Victorino announced Thursday that the Maui Emergency Management Agency will offer supplies and disaster-reporting assistance to Upcountry from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani and to Kihei residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kihei Community Center. Bottled water and boxes of nonperishable food will still be available at the Tavares center for those in need. Residents can also get help documenting and filing reports of storm-related damages.

Damage reports will be put together for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to determine if the state warrants a presidential emergency declaration, which is needed for local governments and individuals to receive financial assistance after a natural disaster, according to the county.

For more information, call the Maui Emergency Management Agency at (808) 270-7285. For county storm updates and a link to reporting damage, visit mauicounty.gov/70/Emergency-Management-Agency.

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.