The heaviest rainstorm in 20 years hit Hawaii over the weekend causing more than $1 billion in damage, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.
Large portions of Hawaii and Maui were under water and 230 people were rescued from homes and towns across the state, according to state officials. Several roads are washed out and extensive damage has been done to the state's infrastructure, airports, a Maui hospital and homes, Green said during a Saturday press conference.
"This is the largest flood we have had in 20 years, more than 230 people have been rescued," Green said.
"I am happy to report my chief of staff spoke to the White House and they have offered support," Green said. "The same with FEMA, they have been with us since the beginning."
At one point, 5,500 people on Oahu's north slope and shore in Awaialua and Haleiwa were ordered to evacuate over fears that the Wahiawa Dam might burst.
Those orders were lifted Saturday afternoon and residents were allowed to return to their homes after water levels threatening the Wahiawa Dam on Oahu's North Shore began to recede as the storm shifted east toward Maui, according to officials. Flash flood warnings continued throughout the weekend.
Green had warned during a press conference on Friday if water levels in the dam surpassed 90 feet, the 130-year-old dam could collapse.
The water soared to 85 feet early Friday triggering the evacuation warnings, but water levels dropped below 82 by Saturday morning, Green said.
"We were expecting 10 to 14 inches of rain over a three-day period and it fell in one night (on Friday)," said John Bravender, a Honolulu meteorologist for the U.S. National Weather Service. "That has been the challenge. Not just the amount of rain that has fallen, but how heavy the rain has been and how fast it fell."
He added that the state is in a "very wet pattern," and the storm system that struck Hawaii was the second severe storm less than two weeks. The state
"There is no question that the damage done has been catastrophic," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said. Dozens, if not hundreds of homes were damaged, but officials have not been able to fully assess the destruction, he said.
While the immediate threat from the storm has passed, Green said in a statement Monday, recovery efforts continue across the islands as state and county crews assess damage, clear debris and restore impacted infrastructure.
Public schools were expected to resume operations Monday with the expectation a small number of campuses on Hawaii Island, Oahu and Molokai would remain closed due to storm-related damage, access issues or safety concerns.
The Hawaii Department of Education is continuing to assess conditions and complete repairs, Green said.
