Flash Flood - Information

People love to swim in various streams and ponds they see in the Hawaiian Islands and it's easy to see why. Who doesn't want to live that postcard perfect scenario of standing under a waterfall or swimming in a secluded or hidden stream in the middle of a tropical island?

Unfortunately, what most people don't know is that there is a serious danger of flash flooding in pretty much any stream or pond on any Hawaiian Island. You may look up and see clear and perfect weather in your area but you may not know that it's raining somewhere else up in the mountains much further away. While you're playing in that stream that's only a foot deep a perfect storm is brewing upstream.

Eventually, it will rain enough and out of nowhere and with no warning whatsoever you could find yourself on the wrong end of a wall of water coming your way at lightening fast speeds. It will come so fast that you won't be able to get out quick enough, if you even see it at all.

The water level can rise several feet in just seconds and the rush of water will be far too strong to swim against. The currents can wash you downstream while they bash your body along rocks, logs, and anything else in the way. If you don't get speared or crushed to death you'll likely drown.

So what can you do? Simple, stay out of all streams and ponds. They're just not safe. Period. Besides, even if there isn't a flash flood you surely don't want to get a nasty dose of the Leptospirosis bacteria in your body because that's a whole other kind of way to turn a fun vacation into a bad one.