More than 300 Hawaii National Guard troops activated as a third storm hits the state

Hawaii mobilized more National Guard personnel ahead of this weekend, as another heavy storm hits the state. 

More than 300 National Guard troops are now mobilized, up from “just over 200” still active from the previous month’s storm response mission, a spokesperson for the Hawaii National Guard confirmed to Task & Purpose on Friday. The activation came as state and local governments spend several days preparing for what is expected to be a week of severe weather from another “Kona Low” storm. Last month, Hawaii saw record breaking levels of rain, with more than six inches of water pouring down on several of the islands and elements of the National Guard, Coast Guard and other military personnel helping with extensive search and rescue operations on multiple islands. 

Now the state is dealing with another “Kona Low” storm, a type of cyclone that hits the islands with westerly winds and rain. Heavy rains hit Oahu again on Friday, with much of the deluge impacting the northern and western shores of the island, according to local media. The storms closed several roads, but a flash flood warning was lifted in the evening. 

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Although this week’s weather hasn’t prompted search and rescue missions yet, the Hawaii National Guard Joint Task Force, which is overseeing responses across the islands, has spent several days preparing.

As part of those efforts, troops filled more than 4,000 sandbags ahead of this week’s storms, a spokesperson said. Additionally, two Black Hawk helicopters are staged on the island of Hawaii and on Oahu for search and rescue and medical evacuations missions if need be. The National Guard also set up High Water Vehicle Teams around Oahu, Maui and the big island, meant to move into flooded areas to help rescue people trapped. As the storms began to come in ahead of the weekend, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green activated the additional personnel. 

A flood watch was in effect for several Hawaiian islands overnight. Although the National Weather Service forecasts a drier Saturday, more rainfall is expected over the weekend. Rain is expected to continue into the start of next week, bringing several inches to parts of the state. Many parts of Oahu are still recovering from last month’s storms, with crews still working to repair infrastructure and clear debris, according to the Honolulu city and county government. 

Hawaii has been battered by multiple Kona Lows in recent weeks. The first left much of Oahu heavily saturated, causing large parts of the island to flood when a second storm hit it between March 20-23. National Guard troops also deployed to a major dam on Oahu, which faced the risk of failure if water levels continued to rise. 

No one is reported to have died during the March storms, but the flooding caused extensive damage in Hawaii and large-scale evacuations of parts of Oahu. Military personnel including the Hawaii National Guard and Coast Guard helped rescue more than 230 people.

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