BREAKING CLIMATE NEWSFarmers Fear Smaller Harvest
PHOTO: CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE
POSTED: 7:15 am PST February 22, 2006
UPDATED: 7:45 am PST February 22, 2006
HONOLULU -- The National Weather Service placed Kauai, Oahu and Molokai under several weather alerts on Tuesday as heavy rains pounded the area.
Heavy rains flooded homes and farms on Kauai on Monday and shut down the only road into and out of Hanalei.
People who live in Hanalei said it's the worst flooding they've seen there in more than five years. The wettest spot on the island got about 18 inches of rain in a 24-hour period.
Hanalei Valley was covered with floodwaters. There were only a few spots where some of the taro grown there was still visible.
At mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the 24-hour rainfall total for Hanalei River was 8 inches and Mount Waialeale above it, the wettest spot in the world, recorded more than 18 inches of rain in the last day.
Hanalei taro farmers said the floods will stunt their crops, meaning a smaller harvest.
