Hawaii is bailing out and digging out from nearly a week's worth of torrential rain that began drenching the Islands on March 8. But the earliest reports gathered by Travel Weekly indicate that the state's tourism infrastructure has not been affected.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige declared a statewide state of emergency this week after the rains flooded homes and businesses, closed roads and forced evacuations on multiple islands.
The storm first hit Maui on Monday, as rains overflowed the Kaupakalua Dam in Haiku and triggered evacuations in the surrounding area. A half dozen homes and two bridges on the Valley Isle were destroyed or severely damaged, according to Maui mayor Michael Victorino, who in a statement called the flooding "unprecedented."
"When you see flood damage in the light of day, it's a reminder of the sheer power of fast-moving water," Victorino said. "We are so fortunate there were no reported deaths or injuries."
On Tuesday, a flash flood emergency was issued for the north shore of Oahu, and the historical town of Haleiwa was evacuated as several areas flooded, dumping mud and debris into numerous homes and a food truck park at the entrance of the town popular with surfers.
The North Shore's only resort, Turtle Bay, is closed amid a major renovation. A spokesman for the property said it avoided any damage and that no delays in the refit were expected.
"We've been super busy with Turtle Bay closed," said Greg Gerstenberger, property manager for the Ke Iki Beach Bungalows on the North Shore, located about 12 miles southwest of Turtle Bay on the Kamehameha Highway. "That's helped our cause tremendously."
The dozen rooms at Ke Iki Beach escaped damage, Gerstenberger said, and they are sitting at 90% occupancy.
"Haleiwa [about six miles farther south along the highway] seems to be the place that was hardest hit, especially near the river mouths," he said. "I've been here 38 years, and this storm was in the top 10 in terms of amount of rain in a short period of time."
Gerstenberger visited Haleiwa on Thursday and said at a shopping center in the center of town it looks like "nothing has happened."
"The stores are open. The restaurants are open. I think it's good if people can come and support businesses up here. We're pretty resilient, and everything is already getting back up and going," he said.
The Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association did not respond to emails and phone calls asking for any reports on Islands properties.
The Polynesian Cultural Center, one of the larger tourist attractions on Oahu's North Shore, had recently reopened with limited hours and capacity on Jan. 18. The center closed on Tuesday as a precautionary measure for both visitors and staff and was already scheduled to be closed on Wednesday under its curtailed reopening hours. There was no flooding, according to a spokesperson, but there was some dirt and mud that needed to be cleaned up before the Polynesian Cultural Center reopened on Thursday.
On Kauai, a landslide blocked Kuhio Highway on Kauai's north shore early Thursday, and the road remains closed as officials assess the damage, clear debris and make repairs. The same area and road were hit by flooding and landslides in April 2018, and this marks the second time in three years Kuhio Highway has closed due to storm damage.
"Our North Shore community has been through so much over the years, and again they are called to overcome a great challenge with many unknowns at this time," Kauai mayor Derek Kawakami said in a statement. "We want to assure our residents and visitors that we will get through this together."
A flash flood watch for the entire state is in effect through Friday because of the potential for more rain and because the ground was already saturated.