HONOLULU (AP) — Towering waves on Hawaii’s south shores crashed into houses and companies, spilled throughout highways and upended weddings over the weekend.
The big waves — some greater than 20 toes (6 meters) excessive — got here from a mixture of a powerful south swell that peaked Saturday night, notably excessive tides and rising sea ranges related to local weather change, the Nationwide Climate Service mentioned Monday.
A marriage Saturday night in Kailua-Kona was interrupted when a set of enormous waves swamped the occasion, sending tables and chairs crashing towards friends.
Sara Ackerman, an creator who grew up in Hawaii and attended the marriage, filmed the waves as they barreled ashore.
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“It simply was large,” she mentioned. ”I used to be filming it after which it simply came to visit the wall and simply fully annihilated all of the tables and chairs.”
She mentioned it occurred about 5 minutes earlier than the ceremony was scheduled to start.
“It wasn’t like a life-threatening state of affairs by any means in anyway,” she mentioned. “It was similar to, ‘Oh my gosh … what are we going to do? The place are we going to place the tables?’”
She mentioned they went forward with the ceremony and cleaned up the mess after the newlyweds exchanged vows.
“We had the ceremony and it was lovely, having all of the (sea) spray,” she mentioned. “The ocean was actually wild. So it was nice for the photographs.”
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Chris Brenchley, the meteorologist in cost on the Nationwide Climate Service workplace in Honolulu, mentioned a number of components got here collectively to create such large waves.
“Waves over 12 or 15 toes (3.66 or 4.57 meters), these grow to be extraordinarily massive and actually uncommon to have,” he mentioned. “It’s the most important it’s been in a number of a long time.”
Brenchley mentioned the swell was produced within the South Pacific, the place it is at the moment the winter season.
“That they had a very sturdy winter storm the place the winds have been centered immediately in direction of locations like Samoa after which additional on to the north into Hawaii,” he mentioned.
Remnants of Hurricane Darby handed south of Hawaii however had no main impression on the surf, he mentioned.
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Whereas singular occasions like this tough to pin on to local weather change, Brenchley mentioned the warming planet is taking part in a job.
“Essentially the most direct sort of impression that we are able to use with local weather change is the ocean degree rise. Any time you add simply even small quantities of water, you elevate that sea degree just a bit bit,” he mentioned. “And now these impacts might be exacerbated at any time when we have now a big storm occasion or a … excessive, excessive tide.”
Most giant summer season swells that come from the south are not any larger than about 10 toes (3 meters), which might set off a excessive surf advisory.
“We had some waves that have been reaching 20 toes (6 meters), 20 feet-plus even,” Brenchley mentioned. “That’s getting on the extent of historic.”
Hawaii’s north shores, the place skilled surfers typically compete, normally get a lot bigger waves than different components of the islands. The predominant swell hits the north shores within the winter and the south shores in the summertime.
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Lifeguards and rescue crews throughout the state had a busy weekend.
They carried out no less than 1,960 rescues on the island of Oahu alone on Saturday and Sunday.
Honolulu officers reported one critical harm when a surfer suffered a laceration to the again of his head.
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Two people are dead and 22 more injured in a fireworks-related incident in Hawaii on New Year’s Day.
Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, police and the fire department were all called to the scene in the Salt Lake-Aliamanu area in the early hours of January 1.
Footage from the scene showed multiple emergency vehicles on Keaka Drive.
The Honolulu Police Department wrote in a post on X: “Major Incident in the Salt Lake area HPD, HFD, and EMS are responding to a major incident in the area of Keaka Drive. Please avoid the area as first responders provide medical and other assistance.”
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The department added posted an update at 1:45 a.m.: “This is a fireworks-related incident with multiple casualties. HPD, HFD, and EMS are on the scene providing care and security. Please avoid the area.”
Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident, which took place as people across the islands were celebrating the arrival of 2025.
It comes after Honolulu Emergency Medical Services responded to another call in the Kalihi area on New Year’s Eve, according to Newsweek.
A 14-year-old boy was injured after a firework exploded in his hand, according to paramedics at the scene who transported him to the hospital for treatment.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Hawaii Island man accused of abducting a 15-year-old girl and holding her captive in a bus on his Hilo property two years ago pleaded no contest to multiple charges in a Kona courtroom Tuesday morning.
Cher Angelel spoke on behalf of her daughter, Mikella, after the hearing.
The family expressed deep gratitude, thanking everyone who had a part in not only bringing the teen home, but also those who have helped to deliver justice in this years-long case.
“Today is the beginning of the end,” Angelel said. “There aren’t enough thanks for people that really stepped up. Way too many people to name. But you know who you are and we are so endlessly grateful for your support and help.”
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Duncan Mahi pleaded no contest to two counts of kidnapping and one count of sexual assault in connection with the two-day crime spree that spanned Hawaii Island before the teen managed to escape in Hilo with the help of two good Samaritans who recognized her at a restaurant.
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Attorney Jeffrey Foster said, “A plea of no contest basically means that the defendant does not plead guilty, but he also agrees not to contest the charges against him.”
According to the plea agreement, Mahi will spend no less than 20 years behind bars.
It also means Mikella and the boy who was with her at the time of the abduction won’t have to testify at a trial.
“They are seniors in high school and ready to get on with their lives and not having a trial will definitely be a good thing for all of us,” said Angelel.
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Today, Mikella is about to turn 18. Angelel said she is doing phenomenal.
“She has risen above it,” Angelel said. “She’s gotten on with her life. She’s a straight-A student. She’s applying for colleges, applying for scholarships. She’s going places in life.”
Angelel credits her daughter’s intelligence for helping bring her captor to justice.
“And I really want young women to really know what my daughter did to save herself and learn from her,” she said. “Memorizing his license plate from the very get-go. She left hair in the school bus he was keeping her in for DNA. She really did things that helped out the police.”
Mahi’s sentencing is scheduled for March 14 at 8:30 a.m. in Kona.
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A Pahoa man has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and first-degree negligent homicide after a collision resulted in the death of a bicyclist Monday, according to Hawaii island police.
The incident occurred at about 8 p.m. Monday on Kahakai Boulevard near Olao Street in Pahoa.
Police said Michael Richardson, 36, of Pahoa, was driving a 2018 Volkswagen GTI sedan east on Kahakai when he struck a man on a blue mountain bike traveling in the same direction.
Paramedics rushed the unresponsive bicyclist, apparently in his 50s, to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:55 p.m. His identification is pending, according to police, and an autopsy has been ordered to determine his cause of death.
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In addition to DUI and negligent homicide, police also arrested Richardson on suspicion of driving without insurance. He remains in custody at the Hilo Police Station pending further investigation.
Witnesses to the collision or any information should contact Officer Jerome Duarte at 808- 961-2339 or Jerome.Duarte@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tips may also be reported to Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300 in Hilo.
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Police said this is Hawaii Cunty’s 29th traffic fatality this year compared to 15 at the same time last year.
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