Following last month’s flooding from Kona low storms across Maui and Oahu, experts are calling for communities to incorporate more trees and natural systems to absorb water rather than relying solely on traditional drainage infrastructure.
- Recent Kona low storms caused widespread flooding and evacuations from Haleʻiwa to Lahaina, Kīhei, and ʻĪao Valley.
- Current infrastructure moves water away quickly through pipes and drains, but fails when overwhelmed by heavy rainfall.
- Trees and healthy soils can absorb rainfall, reduce runoff, and work as distributed infrastructure across landscapes.
- Traditional Hawaiian ahupuaʻa system used forested areas and vegetation to naturally manage water from mountains to ocean.
- While trees pose some risks during storms, removing them often increases flooding and erosion problems.
Source: Civil Beat
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