Heavy Rains Ease, Rescue Efforts Improve After Hawaii Storm

HONOLULU (AP) — Heavy rains on Kauai let up on Monday, which helped emergency workers better rescue people stranded by flooding on the Hawaiian island. Forty people, mostly tourists, were stuck since Saturday night at a Red Cross shelter in an elementary school in the north shore town of Hanalei. Plans to airlift them out of the school, which was surrounded by water, were abandoned because severe weather grounded helicopters, said Coralie Matayoshi, CEO of American Red Cross of Hawaii. On Sunday night, another 21 people made their way to the shelter on personal watercraft and boats, she said. The shelter earlier had run out of food and water, but received adequate provisions Sunday, she said. Hanalei Bridge was open only to emergency vehicles Monday, so one busload of people from the shelter was moved to another shelter, said Kauai County spokeswoman Sarah Blane. Efforts to move others out of the shelter were temporarily hampered by a landslide on the highway, she said. There were no reports of major injuries. At least two houses on the north shore completely washed off their foundations, Blane said. The houses were vacant, she said. Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho and Hawaii Gov. Davide Ige assessed damage and rescue needs by helicopter on Monday, she said. "The Hawaii National Guard was deployed yesterday, and I am committed to identifying and mobilizing additional state assets needed to keep the community safe," Ige said in a statement. "Now that the weather ...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Operations Source Type: news