Heavy rains hit the island of Hawaii and emergency shelters were opened

HAWAII ISLAND, Hawaii (KHON2) – Heavy rains are causing problems on the island of Hawaii. A flash flood warning was issued, with rain hitting parts of Kau, Puna and South Hilo, according to the National Weather Service.

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County officials have opened shelters at the Keeau Armory, Robert Herkes Gym and the Naalehu Community Center.

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Due to severe flooding, the following roads were also closed:

Motorists are also advised to travel with caution in Puna as the district is experiencing heavy rain and water runoff on Highway 30 in Keaau and Route 11 in Mt View and Glenwood.

“In such cases, we enter a state of heightened monitoring and depending on what we see out there, we would partially or fully activate our emergency operations center in the discussions we have with the National Weather Service. At this time, based on what we are seeing, we are still in the enhanced surveillance phase,” said Jesse Sceppe with Hawaii County Civil Defense.

The flash flood warning is in effect until 10:45 p.m

Stay with KHON2 News for weather updates on General Election Day and the rest of the week.

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