National Weather Service forecasts weakening of kona low on Friday; Pi?ilani Highway remains closed

Piʻilani Highway remained closed between Ulupalakua and Nuʻu on Friday morning after a kona low

resulted in heavy rain and flooding in East Maui on Thursday.

Due to the unpredictability of the kona low system, the Maui Emergency Management Agency was partially activated when the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Maui County and the public was advised to take precautions. MEMA was deactivated for the kona low at 8:15 p.m. Thursday after the expiration of the warning.

According to the National Weather Service, the system west of the islands will gradually weaken Friday, with scattered heavy showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms remaining in the forecast for Maui. A flood watch remains in effect through 6 p.m. Friday for the entire state.

A more stable air mass will gradually develop over the weekend as high pressure builds north of the islands, according to NWS.

An American Red Cross emergency shelter that opened Thursday evening at Eddie Tam Memorial Center in Makawao was closed at midnight Thursday after no one showed up. Another emergency shelter that was opened at Hana High and Elementary School on Thursday morning was closed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday after flooding subsided and state Department of Transportation crews cleared landslides and debris from Hana Highway in East Maui.

County officials reported that flooding mitgation tools deployed ahead of the kona low successfully helped prevent ash runoff into the storm drain system.

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