The Daily Polaroid: November 2009

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Hanalei Valley Flood

Kauai, who's mountain sees more rain than anywhere else on Earth, endured a huge amount of rain today. Personally, I have never seen more rain fall from the sky- and for so long. It started in the middle of the night with lightning and thunder. Booming thunder! The lightning was so bright, the light woke me up. And then the booms began to follow. The wind roared and the rain pounded everything and whipped at the windows. The thunder was so loud, I put a pillow over my head while the house bolted and shook. The lightning and booming went on for a long time until finally, the booms were more and more delayed after the lightning, until they slowly faded into the distance as I drifted back to sleep. All the while the rain continued to pour down.
In the morning I woke up hearing the rain, knowing that it had never slowed down. We headed towards Hanalei for our morning coffee, but were stopped at the Princeville police station where a roadblock had been set up- the road to Hanalei was closed. Breakfast came and went, and by 10 AM, the time when the daily drizzles usually gave way to blue skies, the rain gave no signs of slowing down in the least. We decided to head out to the other (drier) side of the island. We were soaked running to the car. We could barely see out the window. As we headed out, we saw waterfalls blooming across every mountain. The rain finally started to let up when we hit Poipu and we were able to enjoy some beach time (and some puka dogs). But as we reached the beach, it was announced on the radio that the Kalihiwai bridge had been closed due to a landslide, and there was no word on when it might open. We were stuck in Poipu.
Luckily, by the time we were ready to go home, it was announced that the Kalihiwai bridge had reopened. We stopped by the overlook above the Hanalei valley, just before the spot where the road to Hanalei was still closed. There was finally a break in the rain and everyone was there to see the same thing- countless waterfalls streaming down the mountains behind a flooded Hanalei valley. The valley was full of muddy water, the taro plants drowned from sight, the road gone, the houses knee deep in water.
Locals were saying that in 15 years or more, they had never seen so much rain.
Residents stuck in Hanalei stayed with friends who blew up mattresses and welcomed the company. Unfortunately, Hanalei had no running water, and didn't still on Monday, when we left.
By Sunday, the flood waters had receded and the road to Hanalei opened. The taro plants looked as if they had never drowned. The river looked as it had before. Rainbows greeted us during our morning coffee at Java Kai. Sunlight illuminated the mountains of the Na Pali coast. Baby chickens were getting great meals of washed up worms in the grass. A great last morning in Hanalei.

Here is a view of the post storm waterfalls above the valley, and then below, the flood waters beginning to recede.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Monday, November 9, 2009

Trail to Anini Beach

Still fighting this nasty cold, so everyone left me at the condo today to rest while they headed off to Poipu for the day. It poured rain in quick bursts all morning. When the clouds dispersed and the sun came out, I decided to walk down to the beach, to rest in the sun. The very steep trail consisted of red mud, 6 inches deep. Starting at the top of the bluff, it slid quickly downhill, through a forest of flowering trees beside the golf course, into a thick jungle of mangrove at the bottom that opened up suddenly onto a quiet, golden sandy cove. Luckily, a friendly neighbor offered me a ride back to the top.