See it: Hurricane Hone barrels by Hawaii bringing angry waves, flooding

HILO, Hawaii – As the sun came up on the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, the full force of Hurricane Hone’s impacts was felt across the Big Island. By Sunday afternoon, with Hone moving past the Big Island more than 21,000 utility customers were without power, most of which were reported on the Big Island, with outage numbers rising on Maui and Honolulu. Dangerous surf pounded south-facing shores on the Big Island, where Hone passed just to the south.HONE TRACKER: FORECAST CONE, HURRICANE PATH, SATELLITE IMAGERY, SPAGHETTI MODELS AND MORETide pools at Black Sand Beach in Punalu’u on the southeast-facing shore quickly formed around 4 a.m., and beach access was closed due to the dangerous surf. Later in the day, FOX Weather photojournalists captured big waves continuing to pound Pāhoa, sending big splashes of sea spray up onto the rocky shores. Hone passed less than 50 miles south of the Big Island with 85-mph winds and dropped tons of rain across the islands. Rainfall totals quickly surpassed a foot in many places on the Big Island, including Hakalau, with more than 18 inches, according to data from the National Weather Service. A video by FOX Weather showed water rushing along access roads in Pahala, Hawaii. According to county police, the water had overtopped at least three sections of Hawaii Belt Road (Route 11), which circles the Big Island. The Hawaii Department of Transportation reported multiple road closures on the Big Island due to flooding, downed trees and road damage, including Highway 11 in Ka’u, Naalehu and Milolii. DOT crews were also busy responding to Hurricane Hone’s impacts across other islands, including Maui, where a landslide temporarily closed part of Hana Highway on Sunday morning. There was some beauty behind Hone’s angry waves and flooding. After the worst of the storm passed, hikers witnessed the powerful raging Rainbow Waterfall in Hilo, made even more intense by the torrential rains.  While the falls were missing the signature rainbow, visitors noted that just last week, they were a “trickle.” According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Hawaii is under at least moderate drought conditions, with extreme drought on parts of the Big Island and Maui.