Storm & Flood Damage Recovery in Lahaina, HI

Distance and steepness. The West Maui mountains rise sharply a short way inland, and rain falling on them does not soak in or spread out; it collects into gulches and arrives at the coastal plain as concentrated flow within minutes. A gauge in town can read almost nothing while a gulch is running hard. Watching what the mountains are getting, rather than what is falling on the roof, is the useful habit.

It simplifies the drying and complicates the rebuilding. With one layer of boards serving as both structure and finish there is no cavity to trap water, so an assembly dries faster and there is nothing hidden. What is damaged, though, is also the structure, so replacement is more involved than swapping drywall. Establishing which construction type a building uses should be the first thing a contractor determines here.

It does, more than the rainfall figures suggest. Ambient humidity near the coast stays high year-round and salt air accompanies it, so materials do not dry as readily as a twenty-three inch annual total would imply, and metal fasteners and fixtures corrode faster. Closed drying with dehumidification, judged on meter readings rather than on how a room feels, is the right approach here as much as on the windward side.