(ABOVE) Video of a windswept Waimea town on Hawaii Island, courtesy Lynn Beittel of Visionary Video

Video by Lynn Beittel

WAIMEA, Hawaii – The early effects of Hurricane Iselle were felt in Waimea, as evidenced by this video courtesy Lynn Beittel and Visionary Video.

Footage shows strong gusts and torrential rain at the Waimea Center, blowing through an empty parking lot next to a boarded-up McDonalds, and a shuttered KTA Superstore. Elsewhere, empty gas pumps rattle in the wind outside of a thoroughly taped Aloha Island Mart.

Nearby, Highway 250 or the Kohala Mountain Road had to close to traffic due to fallen trees.