MAUI, Hawaii — A severe storm that has drenched much of Hawaii has caused a landslide that reportedly blocked a highway in Maui, as well as many downed power lines, on Monday.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation posted a photo of the landslide on social media, showing both lanes of traffic on Hana Highway blocked by debris in the road.
A landslide is an event when a mass of rocks, vegetation or other debris moves down a slope in an uncontrollable fashion and can lead to additional hazards. They’re common in mountainous areas and can be triggered by rainfall, droughts, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
A boulder also blocked part of the highway earlier in the day, but has since been removed.
Also in Maui, power lines fell down on the road on Honoapiilani Highway, and drivers were told to expect delays.
Another landslide happened on Hawaii Island, blocking part of Highway 19. It has since been cleared.
In addition, a lot of downed trees have caused issues in Oahu, specifically on Pali Highway.
Hundreds of employees and contractors with Hawaiian Electric are working to restore power to customers across Oahu, Maui County and Hawaii Island.
They say the outages are due to strong winds that have knocked down trees and utility poles.
Power has been restored to more than 80% of customers who were without electricity since last night. At one point, there were at least 45,000 homes without power.
A cold front has stalled over the Aloha State after first arriving Saturday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Strong trade winds are causing storms to repeatedly form and dump heavy rain, particularly along the northern slopes of the Big Island.
Over 10 inches of rain fell in just 24 hours this weekend across parts of Hawaii. State offices and public schools were closed Monday after Governor Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation over the weekend to free up emergency resources.
HAWAII SOAKED BY SPRAWLING STORM AS GOVERNMENT MONITORS GROWING FLOOD THREAT
Wind and rain are expected to subside by Tuesday as the system drifts west.
Anyone who encounters dangerous conditions on the road is urged to call 911.
Stay with FOX Weather for the latest weather updates.
