Hawaii Says "Rain, Rain, Go Away"

After days of torrential rain and flooding, the governor of Hawaii has declared a disaster on the islands of Kauai and Oahu, according to reports from paradise.

Since Saturday, areas of Kauai have been inundated with more than 35 inches of rain. In Wainiha, on the North Shore, the National Weather Service said 12.74 inches fell in a one day period.

Parts of Oahu have seen 15 inches of rain, and Maui was also soaked. The thunderstorms have also brought waterspouts, hail and deadly high surf. Snow was possible today on Hawaii island summits, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser said.

A 30-minute hail storm Friday over windward Oahu was "unprecedented," for Hawaii, said Tom Birchard, senior meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu. Not only is it highly unusual for hail to fall over Hawaii, but some stones that measured as large as three inches are likely record-breaking, he said.

Small stones were reported to have fallen on other islands over the course of about a week of heavy rains that closed schools, caused sewage spills, flooded homes and dampened vacations. There were landslides, power outages and roads blocked by trees, boulders and mud.

The islands are expected to get a break from the rain on Saturday.

Severe Weather to Hit Atlanta Today

The weather Wednesday night is expected to be horrific, frightening and dangerous as a severe storm is expected to race across the metro area at about 50 mph.

Glenn Burns, the chief meteorologist for Channel 2 Action News, said Tuesday evening the “significant tornado parameters” he’s been watching all day Tuesday are “off the scale.”

“When it’s a 1, it means tornadoes are possible. At 3, it means they are likely. Ours is 8 to 11,” Burns said. “All the parameters are there for tornadoes, damaging winds, hail, intense lightning. It very likely we will see some flooding in North Georgia.”

He said people should look for “super cell thunder storms.”

The weather will hit the state after 8 p.m. and metro Atlanta should be slammed around 11 p.m.

The strong storms that downed trees and power lines on Monday was just a precursor for Wednesday, Burns told The Atlanta Journal Constitution earlier Tuesday.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service were also sounding a warning for Wednesday, saying that a "major severe weather event" is expected.

The Weather Service said in a statement Tuesday that while damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are not completely out of the question across the northwest corner of the state early Wednesday, the "big show" will come later in the afternoon and evening, when "all parameters align almost perfectly for a major severe weather event."