Residents in Ewa Beach experienced significant flooding yesterday morning following heavy rain, with the deluge leaving houses underwater and lifestyles in upheaval. Multiple homes near Parish Drive and Fort Weaver Road were invaded by floodwaters, which arose swiftly and without blatant warning to those who thought themselves prepared. As reported by KHON2, one local, Leo Vlachakis, saw what he described as “this huge wall of water coming in,” leading to scrambling efforts to mitigate the damage.
In an effort to combat the rising waters, some Ewa Beach residents took matters into their own hands, wielding shovels to clear blocked drainage passages. “We had to dig out the canal, the berm. It was only letting a little bit of water through and with some help of the neighbors and other kids, eight of us just got our shovels and we just opened it up and let the water flow through,” Vlachakis told KHON2. His and others’ efforts seemed vital in permitting the floodwaters to recede, ultimately protecting several homes from further calamity.
Timothy Crawley, who found his home’s entire ground level submerged, detailed to Hawaii News Now the surreal sight of his house transformed into a “lake.” Despite not being in a flood zone and taking precautions, Crawley, along with many locals, was overwhelmed by the swift turn of events. “The entire downstairs is completely flooded,” he stated, noting the potential need to replace the entire floor due to water damage.
Illustrative of the strangeness of the situation were instances of wildlife encroachment, with residents witnessing sea creatures where only days before there was dry land. “One of my daughters came out. She’s like, ‘there’s a fish,’ and she saw a fish, and she came running in all excited about seeing a fish floating around beside the house,” Crawley shared in a poignant moment of surprise amidst the chaos, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
While the severity of the storm was unforeseen, the aftermath has left Ewa Beach community members grappling with recovery, including extensive property cleanup. Despite a flood advisory in effect for Oahu until 11 a.m. that day, the extent and impact of the rain, which ultimately caused the flooding, could not have been predicted. The flooding was reported to have ceased after all severe weather alerts expired.
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