High Winds Hit Hawaii

Yesterday we were delighting in the stiff breezes and amazing clouds.  Yesterday, we made plans to have a lovely Valentines lunch at our favorite Pahoa Village restaurant -- Kaleo's.  Now, the clouds are moving by like they were part of the jet stream!!  Phil took a hand-held wind meter with us this morning for our walk (before the winds got to strong.)  Our walk back gave us a brisk tail wind!  Lower elevations gusting up to 20-30 while up on the summits of Mauna Kea, winds are expected to near 100 mph!

Just when you thought the woods were safe!

We learned from Iselle, though, and we are glad that we installed the equipment we did.  We lost power last night a couple times, then lost it permanently around 8am, when Phil gassed up the generator and switched the important stuff (freezer, refrigerators for both us and our tenants, and living room -- including computer.)

Emergency systems including our local CERT team, as well as the County, and Leilani Estate blog are sending out updates frequently.  Reports are coming in from all over about downed trees, road blockages and power outages. We have had two trees come down, one nearly missing our car, and the other (a really big one) falling north (fortunately) onto the next door neighbor's vacant lot.  Of course we have relocated the vehicles nearer to the house.   Needless to say, lunch plans have changed, as we have asked our friends and tenants to join us for albacore cakes, green salad, rice crackers and apple crunch for dessert topped with honey yogurt.