Here's what to know as the scope of damage from Hawaii's floods becomes clearer

HONOLULU (AP) — The worst flooding to deed Hawaii successful 2 decades swept homes disconnected their foundations, floated cars retired of driveways and near floors, walls and counters covered successful thick, reddish volcanic mud.

Crews continued to measure the demolition Monday, but authorities said hundreds of homes had been damaged, on with immoderate schools and a hospital.

No deaths person been reported, but much than 230 radical had to beryllium rescued.

Here's what to cognize arsenic residents statesman to cleanable up.

This was Hawaii's worst flooding since 2004

Gov. Josh Green said the outgo of the tempest could apical $1 billion, including harm to airports, schools, roads, homes and a Maui infirmary successful Kula. He called it the state’s astir superior since flooding since 2004, erstwhile floods successful Manoa inundated homes and a University of Hawaii library.

On Oahu's North Shore, famed for large question surfing, the waters roseate rapidly aft midnight Friday arsenic dense rains fell connected ungraded already saturated by downpours from a wintertime tempest a week earlier. Raging waters lifted homes and cars. The tempest prompted valuation orders for 5,500 radical northbound of Honolulu — though they were aboriginal lifted — and much than 230 radical were rescued from the rising waters.

Some residents fled connected surfboards arsenic h2o reached waist oregon thorax high.

Winter tempest systems brought terrible deluges

Officials blamed immoderate of the devastation connected the sheer magnitude of rainfall that fell successful a abbreviated magnitude of time.

Parts of Oahu received 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters), the National Weather Service said. That was connected apical of different caller tempest that had dumped immense amounts days earlier. Kaala, the island’s highest peak, got astir 16 inches (40 centimeters) precocious past week, connected apical of 26.6 inches (67.6 centimeters) betwixt March 10 and 16.

Winter tempest systems known arsenic “Kona lows,” which diagnostic southerly oregon southwesterly winds that bring successful moisture-laden air, person been liable for the deluges successful the past 2 weeks. The strength and frequence of dense rains successful Hawaii person accrued amid human-caused planetary warming, experts say.

The worst of the storms appeared to beryllium implicit by Sunday afternoon.

Volunteers amusement up to cleanable debris and thick, reddish mud

Crews are inactive assessing the grade of the damage, but by Monday Oahu's Department of Emergency Management had received much than 400 reports of damaged oregon destroyed homes, spokesperson Molly Pierce said.

In immoderate neighborhoods, residents person had to tramp done silt up to their knees oregon deeper to scope their properties, she said.

Along with its consistency, the rusty hue of the mud, which comes from oxidized robust successful the volcanic soil, makes it a nightmare to cleanable up.

"When it's dry, the particulate stains, and erstwhile it's wet, the mud clings," Pierce said Monday. She compared it to heavy, bedewed snow.

Volunteers person been showing up from crossed Oahu and adjacent from different islands to assistance wide distant muck and debris, Pierce said.

Residents and officials fret implicit an aging dam

As the waters roseate Friday, officials warned that the 120-year-old Wahiawa dam, northbound of Honolulu, was “at hazard of imminent failure.” The dam has agelong been vulnerable, but worries eased arsenic the h2o subsided.

The earthen operation was built successful 1906 to summation sweetener accumulation for the Waialua Agricultural Co., which yet became a subsidiary of Dole Food Co. It was reconstructed pursuing a illness successful 1921.

The authorities has said Wahiawa dam has “high hazard potential” and a nonaccomplishment “will effect successful probable nonaccomplishment of quality life.”

It has sent Dole 4 notices of deficiency astir the dam since 2009, and 5 years agone it fined the institution $20,000 for failing to code information deficiencies connected time, according to records.

Afterward, Dole projected to donate the dam, reservoir and ditch strategy to the authorities successful speech for an statement to repair the spillway to conscionable and support dam information standards.

“The dam continues to run arsenic designed with nary indications of damage,” Dole said successful a statement.

How to help

Green connected Sunday recommended that those wanting to enactment impacted households donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has activated its Stronger Hawaii Fund to deploy resources crossed each affected islands.

The nonprofit Hawaiian Council besides launched the Kako’o Oahu inaugural to assistance individuals and families done lodging and fiscal assistance arsenic good arsenic different support. The assembly matched the archetypal $100,000 successful donations and is continuing to fundraise.

“So galore families person been displaced, homes person been damaged, and communities are facing contiguous needs,” said Hawaiian Council CEO Kuhio Lewis. “The way to betterment begins present — it cannot wait.”

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Johnson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writer Gabriela Aoun Angueira contributed to this study from San Diego.

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