Back in mid-September, torrential rains pummeled Maui and much of the rest of the state. Maui, however, saw the most damage out of all the islands. And while much of the island experienced bad flooding, the worst devastation occurred in Iao Valley. There, the Wailuku River doubled in size during this weather event and devastated everything in its path. But today, the Iao Valley State Monument reconstruction begins.
Yesterday, a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony was held to mark the start of the reconstruction process. First up is the cleanup of the Iao Valley State Monument and the valley as a whole. That effort is expected to take six to either weeks and cost $300,000 to $400,000. The reconstruction work itself, however, is expected to take at least four to six months once cleanup is completed.
According to Maui Watch, the last time flooding on this level occurred in the valley was in 1916. So much of the local media has been calling this a 100 year flood. And, yes, it literally is a 100 year flood, it is expected that these types of events will become more common as our climate continues to change.
The Iao Valley State Monument is, of course, known for the iconic Iao Valley. A natural erosion feature, the Iao Needle is located in Maui’s West Maui Mountains, a short drive from Wailuku. The area is surrounded by lush tropical rain forests, and the normally clam river is a popular swimming area for locals and visitors alike.
Unfortunately, if you’re planning on going to Maui in the next 6 to 8 months, you won’t be able to visit the Iao Valley State Monument. But, as beautiful is, I don’t think you’ll be missing much. When the wife and I went, parking was incredibly difficult to get, and the view was a little underwhelming in my opinion. To me, it was only really worth visiting if you had time to kill. Otherwise, there are other, more spectacular sights to see on Maui. The entire Haleakala National Park is a good example of course.
At any rate, I’m glad to see recovery work finally commencing. The situation also serves an important reminder, though, to be mindful of the weather. This flood was a flash flood event, and it goes to show how serious things can get. So if the weather looks sketchy, stay out of rivers and streams, and avoid hiking as well.