Maui officials on standby to stop heavy rains from sending ash into storm drains

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Maui officials are on standby to prevent ash from August’s deadly wildfire in Lahaina from flowing into storm drains. Forecasters say a winter storm could bring heavy rain and strong winds to the island. The National Weather Service says rain could trigger localized flooding over burn scars in Lahaina and Kula. Maui County says it has placed 40 pallets of straw barriers around Lahaina and that 25 staff members are on standby. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the entire state through Thursday. The weather service has warned potentially heavy rainfall and thunderstorms could batter the island chain.