Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge is ‘Cobalt Blue.’ See more responses here.
I had a post all lined up, until I was called into work yesterday to do some clean up after flash floods swept through several places, including where I work. On the drive down, I came on this scene.
The cobalt blue waters of the Pacific were being overrun by muddy waters swept into the sea by flooding. I’ve never seen such a sharp line before and, as I watched, I could see it moving forward, to the north. On that coast, the current generally runs in that direction, and a swell from the south was probably helping it along too.
The muddy waters entered the sea down by Kawaihae and when I first saw them, they’d almost reached Lapakahi, a distance of around 12 miles. When I returned home, about three hours later, the brown water had moved up off Kapaa Park, another two and a half miles north.
It will take a day or two for the ocean to clear again, as the waters mingle or are eased away by offshore currents. In the meantime, Kawaihae is digging itself out from the copious amounts of mud left behind by the floodwaters.
Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Move Forward, Reconstruct, Renew, and/or are Burgeoning. See more responses here.
Graham's Island 
That is a very distinct line for sure.
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I’ve seen this kind of thing before, but not on this scale, not in person.
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I am very sorry to hear about the flash flood and that many were affected, including your place of work. Cleaning up after a flood is hard and often distressing. I hope your workplace is able to get back to being functional again soon. That is a dramatic photo though!
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We weren’t too badly affected. Mostly cosmetic damage really. Next door to us, a new development is going in and a fair amount of their newly-finished infrastructure got wiped out. They’re currently trying to figure out exactly what happened so they can reconfigure things so future floods aren’t so damaging.
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Oh how awful Graham. I understand it will clear, but I also imagine the mess everywhere else.
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Well, compared to some floods this was small scale, but significant in a small community. And we have a new flood warning issued for later this week so that’s not good.
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No, it isn’t, and a similar situation on the east coast, here.
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The weather gets weirder by the day alas.
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Great square, but yikes about the floodwaters – they must have been bad
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Not that bad in the grand scale of things. No deaths or major destruction, but a big impact on a small community.
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That’s tough as guess getting less attention and support
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Well, it’s no fun for those who were flooded, but they look like they’re getting plenty of support, both official an unofficial.
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The river mouths along the coast are like that after a flood too. That is bluer than here I reckon
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I think it’s probably a common situation the world over. It’s the most striking view I’ve had of it though.
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I agree. Many many years ago I saw a photo of the Amazon and it’s flood waters empting into the Atlantic and it was a huge plume
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The power of water is something not to be underestimated.
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The image is a stunning reminder of the incredible forces of nature, Graham. Amazing contrasts of the brown and cobalt of the ocean, great timing on your part!
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I wouldn’t have seen or known about this if we hadn’t been washed out at work. One of those chance encounters!
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