Hāna High & Elementary School shut its doors Thursday after heavy rainfall flooded roads across East Maui, cutting off safe access to campus for students, staff and school buses. The closure came as floodwaters overtook key routes into and around Hāna town, leaving officials unable to guarantee students could reach school safely.
The campus closure was due to heavy rainfall and road closures affecting safe access to campus for students, staff and school buses, according to Maui Now. The flooding had already forced Maui County to open a temporary evacuation site at Helene Hall, 174 Keawa Place in Hāna, at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday because of increased rainfall and flooding, the outlet reported.
Piʻilani Highway at Mile Marker 51 in Hāna was closed in both directions due to high water, per the same account, while Uakea Road and Keanini Drive in Hāna town were also shut down because of flooding. Those closures affected safe access for buses and families trying to get students to school.
Flood Advisory Stretched Across Maui County
The eastern end of Maui, including Hāna, remained under a flood advisory through 11:30 p.m., according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The National Weather Service reported rain falling at a rate of 1 to 2.5 inches per hour over eastern Maui, the paper noted, a pace capable of overwhelming low-lying roads in a short span of time.
Forecasters said the greatest flood threat was focused over Oʻahu and Maui County, though all islands remained at risk. A Maui Now lane-closure list included work near Waikamoi and mentioned Honomanū Bay.
Molokaʻi Schools Faced Similar Closures a Day Earlier
Hāna's closure followed a nearly identical situation on Molokaʻi, where five public schools shut down Wednesday because flooded roads made it unsafe for students and staff to reach campus, according to KITV. The affected schools were Molokaʻi High School, Molokaʻi Middle School, Kaunakakai Elementary, Kilohana Elementary and Maunaloa Elementary, all of which were expected to reopen to students and staff Thursday morning.
A Flood Watch remained in effect for all islands as heavy rain continued to raise the risk of flash flooding, the station reported. The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education said it was continuing to monitor weather conditions in coordination with state and county emergency management agencies to help ensure the safety of students and staff, and all other Hawaiʻi public schools were scheduled to remain open at the time.
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education said it would communicate any additional school closures or emergency announcements through its official channels as conditions develop.
