Dam in Hawaii Bursts; Seven People Missing

AP ^ | 3/14/6

[Justice]

I live on the Big Island of Hawaii and the rain here has been intense as well. But thankfully nothing as bad as a dam bursting. I have friends on Kauai. I hope they are ok.

[george76]

some 12-hour rainfall totals ending Tuesday at 8 a.m. (in inches):

Kauai:
Mount Waialeale 5.21
Omao 5.11
Lihue Airport 4.21
Wailua 3.75
Lihue Variety Station 3.43
Kokee 2.70
Port Allen 2.56
Hanalei 2.49
Hanalei River 2.38
Makaha Ridge 2.12

Oahu:
Kahuku 2.45
Kahuku Training Area 2.38
Kii 2.10

[fish hawk]

I'm on Maui. Bright blue sky and 80 degrees. Have not had any rain here except the usual windward and mountain showers. All the storms are going north of us and hitting Oahu and Kauai. That is why our motto is "Maui No Ka Oi". (maui is the best)

[Atlas Sneezed]

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=117.886479,105.46875&q=hawaii&ll=22.204849,-159.387546&spn=0.076605,0.051498&t=h

[Justice]

Update from AP:

HONOLULU - A dam on the Hawaiian island of Kauai apparently failed Tuesday, sending torrents of water gushing from a reservoir to the Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard said. Seven people were reported missing.

Coast Guard spokesman Michael De Nyse said the dam burst was reported around midmorning.

It has rained heavily across Kauai in the past few days.

A Coast Guard helicopter was on the scene looking for the missing people.

State Rep. Hermina Morita, whose district includes the area where the dam burst, said a constituent who had spent the night away from home returned and was searching for four family members.

She said the Kauai resident, whom she did not identify, told her the force of the water swept debris into the ocean about three miles away from the constituent's home.

There was no warning about the dam's strength or the amount of water in the reservoir behind it, Morita said.

"I think everybody was taken by surprise," she said.

Ray Lovell, a spokesman for state Civil Defense, said he could not provide details because his office was still learning about the incident.

Kauai is the westernmost of Hawaii's main islands.

[Atlas Sneezed]

It's about a mile before you turn off to the right to visit the Kilauea Lighthouse.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Morita Reservoir, Kauai County, Hawaii Outdoors Recreation Information.

On the above page is a link to a "HIGH QUALITY TOPO MAP".

[KAUAIBOUND]

I am only about 4 miles from the reservoir that was breeched. And there is another reservoir that drains into the Kalihiwai River that is structurally unsound, and has been since the Corp of Engineers assessed it after Iniki. If that one goes, there will be another disaster. Reportedly, the 60 ft high Kuhio Highway bridge over the Kalihiwai River has experienced some scouring around the foundations. As a structural engineer, this is normally accounted for by deep drilled concrete piers into bedrock. But this is the 3rd world corrupt state of Hawaii where half-assed is deemed OK, so who knows.

[MinuteGal]

I doubt if President Bush will be blamed for this tragedy. After all, most Americans don't know yet that Hawaii is one of these United States.

They know nothing about its government. They only know that it's the place they want to go for their 50th wedding anniversary.....and if they should meet the territorial governor of the islands, Don Ho, so much the better.

Leni

[Brad’s Gramma]

Prayers for ALL involved!!!

[cmsgop]

Keep us informed,take care

[george76]

"Crews were concentrating search efforts in the area of Kilauea Bay known as Rock Quarry Beach."

http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=4279

How is your drinking water and electrical power ?

[Issaquahking]

Hope you are safe there.

But this is the 3rd world corrupt state of Hawaii where half-assed is deemed OK, so who knows

Not to worry, cheap, and p!ss poor construction here on the mainland is no different. They build cockroach condo's here in the desert southwest, the roach's are scrambling across the border at an unbelievable pace.

[biggerten]

Huh. I would have thought the bottom of the ocean, but......

[HiJinx]

"Maui No Ka Oi"

And, what say you two?

[cll]

I though the ocean was wetter.

[KAUAIBOUND]

Power and water are fine. I'm not really worried, but I was just told by a guy who has been here that the Kalihiwai River bridge was constructed back in the 60's using beach sand in the concrete. The beach sand has some residual sea salt in it, which would contribute greatly to the corrosion of the reinforcing steel in the bridge. Not only that, but following Hurricane Ewa in 1982, the foundations of the bridge had to be underpinned. If the bridge goes down, the North Shore of Kauai will be effectively isolated. I just sent my wife to the grocery store in Princeville, so as long as my computer works, I don't care. As for drinking water, the skies will provide - we get from 85 to 150 inches of rain a year.

[leadpenny]

Thanks, I finally got it loaded on my dial-up. My son and his family visited the lighthouse when he was back in Hawaii on R&R from Afghanistan last year. I got a postcard.

[cll]

Which is the "dry side" of Kauai?

Take care.

[KAUAIBOUND]

Actually, it IS a lot worse here. The building departments on the mainland scrutinize permit drawings closely - but not here on Kauai. As a registered structural engineer with 27 years experience, I can testify that only about 10% of the construction has been adequately designed. The State of Hawaii permits architects to do structural engineering and I have found that some of these bozos are still using old-growth lumber stress values that have been outdated since the 1980's, and not a single one of them has a clue about designing for wind forces here in Hawaii's Hurricane Alley.