Hawaii residents brace themselves as hurricane strengthens
This NASA satellite imagery shows Hurricane Lane in the Central Pacific Ocean southeast of the Hawaiian Islands Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. South Point on the Big Island of Hawaii is outlined at top left. Hawaii residents rushed to grocery stores Tuesday to stock up on bottled water, ramen and toilet paper as they faced the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and high surf from the powerful and erratic hurricane expected to churn close to the islands or directly over them. The National Weather Service issued a hurricane watch for Hawaii, Maui and other smaller islands, meaning tropical storm-force winds, excessive rain and large swells could arrive starting Wednesday. (NASA via AP)
Bryce and Dom Boeder of Waimea, Kauai, load their truck with storm supplies in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Lihue, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned as it got closer to the state. (Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island via AP)
Brianna Sugimura unloads supplies for riding out the storm while her children, Radon-Kai and Kanaloa watch in the parking lot of a Walmart store Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Lihue, on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned as it got closer to the state. (Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island via AP)
Taro and Taina Leong of Kekaha, Kauai, are among the customers leaving a Walmart store with supplies to prepare for Hurricane Lane, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018 in Lihue, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned as it got closer to the state. (Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island via AP)
Residents from the Hawaii Health Systems Corp., Kauai Region, including Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, and the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital, enjoy the tidal ponds at the Lydgate Park in Wailua, on the island of Kauai, in Hawaii, with the help of students from the Okinawa Prefectural College of Nursing, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned as it got closer to the state. (Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island via AP)
This NASA satellite imagery shows Hurricane Lane in the Central Pacific Ocean southeast of the Hawaiian Islands at 2:01 p.m. HST (21:01 GMT) Monday, Aug. 20, 2018. National Weather Service forecasters warn that the entire state of Hawaii needs to brace for a possible hurricane strike because of the uncertainty of Lane’s path and its intensity. As of Monday, the storm is about 600 miles (966 kilometers) southeast of Hilo on the Big Island, or about 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) from the state’s capital city of Honolulu. (NASA via AP)
In this Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 photo, seawater erupts from a storm drain along Waikiki’s Kalia Road in Honolulu. The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for parts of Hawaii. Senior Honolulu forecaster Tom Birchard says the watch for Hurricane Lane has been issued for the island of Hawaii and Maui County, which includes the island of Maui and other smaller islands. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)
In this Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 photo, sandbags are seen near a stairway at the west end of the Sheraton Waikiki hotel in Honolulu in preparation for Hurricane Lane. The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for parts of Hawaii. Senior Honolulu forecaster Tom Birchard says the watch for Hurricane Lane has been issued for the island of Hawaii and Maui County, which includes the island of Maui and other smaller islands. (Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP)
In this photo provided City and County of Honolulu, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, center, receives a briefing from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center on Hurricane Lane at the Emergency Operations Center in Honolulu, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch for parts of Hawaii. Senior Honolulu forecaster Tom Birchard says the watch for Hurricane Lane has been issued for the island of Hawaii and Maui County, which includes the island of Maui and other smaller islands. (Andrew Pereira/City and County of Honolulu via AP)
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii residents rushed to stores to stock up on bottled water, ramen, toilet paper and other supplies as they faced the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and high surf as a strengthening hurricane continued to churn toward the state.
The National Weather Service said that Hurricane Lane had become a Category 5 hurricane, which means that it is likely to cause catastrophic damage with winds 157 mph or above.
The hurricane was about 465 miles (804 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu before dawn Wednesday and The National Weather Service extended a hurricane warning for Hawaii’s Big Island to include the island of Maui.
Meteorologist Melissa Dye shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday said the hurricane was 320 miles (515 kilometers) southeast of Hilo and moving north-northwest at about 9 mph (15 kph).
“We are starting to see some of the rain show up on the Big Island radar,” she said. Offshore buoys also had detected wave action associated with the storm.
The weather service in a special statement said tropical-storm-force winds could begin as early as Wednesday afternoon or evening on the Big Island.
On Tuesday night, the National Weather Service announced that Hurricane Lane had become a Category 5 hurricane, which means that it is likely to cause catastrophic damage with winds 157 mph (253 kph) or above.
A hurricane watch remained in effect for Oahu and other smaller islands, meaning tropical storm-force winds, excessive rain and large swells could arrive starting Wednesday.
Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned as it got closer to the state.
There’s uncertainty to Lane’s path, said meteorologist Gavin Shigesato.
“It is much too early to confidently determine which, if any, of the main Hawaiian islands will be directly impacted by Lane,” the weather service said.
But the hurricane center said the storm will move very close to or over the islands from Thursday through Saturday. Even if the center of Lane doesn’t make landfall, the islands could be walloped with rain and wind.
Public schools on the Big Island and in Maui County are closed Wednesday until further notice.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige is allowing non-essential state employees on the Big Island and Maui to go on administrative leave from Wednesday to Friday as Hurricane Lane approaches. Employees on Hawaii and Maui islands who work in disaster response as well as in hospitals and prisons are required to report to their jobs, the governor said.
Longtime Hawaii residents recalled a devastating 1992 hurricane as they prepared for Hurricane Lane.
Kauai resident Mike Miranda was 12 when Hurricane Iniki devastated the island 26 years ago. “A lot of people are comparing the similarities between Iniki and Lane,” he said.
Iniki’s turn into the islands was sudden, he recalled.
“I remember how very little rain fell. But I remember the wind being the strongest force of nature I’ve ever witnessed and probably the scariest sounds I’ve ever heard in my life,” he said.
Utility poles were down all over the island, and his 7th-grade classes were held in Army tents for several months.
Miranda said his family is used to preparing for hurricane season.
“A lot of people who moved here and never experienced a hurricane. They’re the ones rushing to the store,” he said.
