Tourists stranded on Kauai in Hawaii due to severe flooding

Over the course of a 24-hour period, Kauai island in Hawaii was flooded with over 27 inches of rain. This resulted in landslides and flooding and even hampered air rescues. Tourists showed up at a Hanalei Elementary School shelter on Saturday evening due to flooding on the north shore of the island.

Plans were to pick them up by helicopter, however, the choppers were grounded most of the day because of the severe weather. Volunteers have been trying to get food and water into the shelter through the raging floods.

The tourists were not able to drive to the shelter near Princeville earlier in the day because there were numerous landslides on the roadway.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige issued an emergency proclamation today for Kauai authorizing the state to spend money for relief from damages caused by the weather. It says Hawaii is “suffering a disaster occurrence of heavy rains and flooding” that began Saturday and continues, causing extensive damage to public and private property.

Dozens of homes are reported flooded or damaged in Hanalei, Wainiha, Haena, and Anahola. There were no reports of hotel flooding.