The Fong’s Gulch is the widest part of the makai end of Waipuilani Gulch, which is in the middle of our North Kihei neighborhoods. This is where the worst floods come from. Waipuilani Gulch has a 10.9 square mile catchment basin, which is mostly Mauka (uphill) of the highway that funnels rainwater downslope into Fong’s Gulch. And in case you didn’t know, this exact gulch is the single biggest cause of flooding in Kihei in the last few decades. Many homes have been repeatedly flooded, streets blocked, and huge cleanups have been necessary after these floods. And the underlying problems have never been addressed.
Waipuilani stream at Fong’s Gulch Kihei flooding
The County needs to take back Fong’s gulch and protect it as a dedicated stormwater detention basin.
This video was taken after a tiny amount of rain a few weeks ago. It shows stormwater flowing from a narrow section of Fong’s Gulch (Waipuilani Gulch), and going under the narrow single culvert under South Kihei Road, flowing across Luana Kai property (privately-owned stream), and flooding Waipuilani park.
