by Nicky Service
On December 6th, the “Kona Low”, a type of seasonal cyclone, hit Hawaii causing intense flooding and leaving many without power. As of December 8th, the rains have eased and, fortunately, there have been no confirmed deaths. However, several rescue missions have occured, including one in which five 10 year old boys were saved from a rapidly moving stream.
In some places, rainfall reached over 12 inches, Maui reaching 20, a record, and caused mass flooding especially in the southern part of the state. Oahu and Honolulu may be in the clear for more flooding, having canceled flood watches on Tuesday, but the damage may not be done yet.
Because of all the rain, several landslides are expected to occur but, so far, there have been no major ones.
The storm has also prompted blizzard warnings on Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, Hawaii’s tallest mountains, bringing actual snow to the Big Island summits.
Since it’s quite unlikely for a storm to linger over Hawaii like this for so long, some people have made connections to climate change, but it’s not immediately possible to be sure whether or not climate change played a factor. Climate scientists may try to figure that out in the coming weeks.