Trending
The Maui News
A strong December storm system brought much-needed rainfall that helped ease drought across the state but fell short of full recovery in Maui County.
Noticeable improvements have been reported by observers and detected by satellite-based sensors, the National Weather Service said Thursday. In Central Maui, for example, exceptional drought, which ranks as the D4 category on the U.S. Drought Monitor map, eased to severe drought, or the D2 category, following the storm. In southwest Molokai, extreme drought, or the D3 category, has eased to severe drought.
"Reports from central Maui indicated that forage conditions have improved following the December storm, but they have not fully recovered," the weather service said in a drought information statement released Thursday. "Despite the recent rainfall, streamflow in West Maui has not been sufficient to keep the Mahinahina Water Treatment Facility in operation."
In December, Maui County asked people in West Maui to conserve water due to insufficient levels of source water at the Mahinahina facility. The county shut down the facility until source water supply could reach adequate levels and placed water tankers in West Maui in the meantime.
Upcountry and West Maui remain under a Stage 1 water shortage that was issued by the county Department of Water Supply on June 24, asking residents to refrain from using water for nonessential activities like watering their lawns or washing their vehicles.
As on Maui, conditions on Molokai have gotten better but have not recovered fully.
"Satellite-based vegetation health data showed some improvements to conditions over the west half of Molokai, but not a return to normal levels," the weather service said.
Other parts of the state also saw improvements. On Hawaii island, localized areas of extreme drought improved to moderate drought, or the D1 category. Severe drought along the lower leeward slopes of Kauai have improved to moderate drought, while Oahu is no longer under moderate drought conditions.
Following the storm, however, conditions across the state have been generally dry. Without significant rainfall in the near future, the trend will revert back to intensifying and expanding drought, the weather service said.
Fortunately, the rainfall outlook indicates that drought conditions should continue to ease across the state, especially from February to April, the weather service said.