Weekly Briefing: County Continues to Assess Damages After Historic South Swell

The county continues to assess damages following the high surf because of a historic south swell during the weekend and early part of this week.

The high surf damaged a portion of Ho‘one Road in Po‘ipū.

“We are happy to announce that crews have quickly repaired the road, which is now fully open and accessible to motorists,” Kaua‘i County Managing Director Mike Dahilig said in the county’s weekly video briefing. “We thank the Department of Public Works Roads Division, along with Mayor (Derek) Kawakami, who joined crews on Tuesday for their work to safely reopen this road.”

The county will provide further details and updates about other public structures that were damaged by the high surf once its assessments are complete.

“We also extend our mahalo to our Ocean Safety Bureau and all of our first responders for keeping our community safe in and out of the ocean,” Dahilig said. “The high surf advisory has since been canceled, but we will continue to remind all beachgoers the importance of ocean safety.”

He said it’s always a good practice to speak with a lifeguard or click here before entering any water.

“And remember, know your limits, know the conditions and when it doubt, don’t go out,” Dahilig said.

The county’s Office of Economic Development also invites all residents and visitors to take a quick online survey that will help assess transportation preferences on the island.

“The results will help officials better understand why people choose certain modes of transportation and to find avenues where alternative options may work well here on Kaua‘i,” Dahilig said.

To take the survey, click here.

Dahilig also gave an update on the island’s COVID-19 case numbers.

Case counts increased on Kaua‘i and statewide during the past week. Kaua‘i’s seven-day average is 27 cases a day, up from 23 last week. Statewide, the average is 574 cases a day, up from 558 the week before. The actual numbers are likely higher, however, because the state data does not include home test results.

“Our hospitals and health care system are managing cases and have adequate capacity,” Dahilig said.

To watch the entire weekly briefing, click here.