Hawaiʻi flood relief: Governor asks feds for money

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Rebuilding roads, schools, homes and a hospital will cost over $1 billion.

As the storm reasserted itself in Central Oʻahu and the south shore, Gov. Josh Green joined Mayor Rick Blangiardi at a press conference Monday to announce he’s asking the federal government to pay 90% of the cost to remedy extensive damage caused by back-to-back Kona low systems.

Waialua and Haleʻiwa saw some of the worst effects, with thousands of Oʻahu’s North Shore residents left slogging through mud to clean up their flooded homes.

Road damage included a sinkhole that opened on Monday near Makapuʻu and required the closure of Kalanianaʻole Highway. On Monday, Green said Kula Hospital on Maui will need to be replaced and would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

“That’s a big lift,” he said.

Green estimated the damage from the Kona low storms would amount to at least $1 billion last week, and that number is sure to rise. In addition to the hospital, he said $40 million of roads will need to be replaced, $100 million will need to be spent on airport repairs and hundreds of millions of dollars will go toward rebuilding houses.

Many people were caught off guard by the rain on Monday, which once again exceeded predictions. Deep in Pālolo Valley, a river of water rushed out of a manhole and down Carlos Long Street as neighbors recorded the scene with their cell phones. About half a dozen neighbors tried to slow the flow.