Hurricane Lane weakened somewhat overnight, but remains a Category 4 hurricane and continues to pose a significant threat to the Hawaiian Islands in terms of high winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and hazardous surf conditions.
Forecasters from the National Weather Service expect the hurricane to continue weakening as the massive storm completes its pass close to the Hawaiian Islands.
As of 11:00 a.m. HST, Hurricane Lane was approximately 200 miles southwest of Kona on the island of Hawaii and moving northwest at 7 miles per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. The island of Hawaii has experienced very heavy rainfall in the past 18 hours with flash flooding reported in several locations.
Hurricane Lane is projected to begin passing south of, but close to, Maui, Lanai and Molokai later today, Oahu by Friday morning and Kauai sometime later on Friday before completing its pass of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend.
George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, advised that staying safe and out of harm’s way over the next few days is paramount at all times for residents and visitors.
“Don’t guess or speculate about the hurricane’s approach, or underestimate the power of the weather or surf conditions,” said Szigeti. “Stay close to your homes, hotels or lodging accommodations and stay off the roadways. Please be vigilant about following the recommendations of civil defense officials and Hawaii’s news media.”
Szigeti noted that Hawaii has approximately 270,000 travelers currently visiting the islands statewide. “To Hawaii’s visitors, please follow the instructions of our airline, hotel and other professionals working in the tourism industry. They are well-trained for handling crisis situations and do an excellent job of looking out for and taking care of our guests.”
A hurricane warning remains in effect for the island of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Oahu, meaning that hurricane conditions should be expected. A hurricane watch is currently in effect for Kauai, meaning that hurricane conditions are possible.
Residents and visitors are advised to shelter in place while Hurricane Lane is passing the Hawaiian Islands and to have access to a 14-day supply of food and water. Shelters are being opened statewide for those needing to evacuate flood zone areas. A listing of shelters is below, along with resources for information about Hurricane Lane, and closures of parks, attractions and roads.
Visitors planning to travel to or who are already here in the Hawaiian Islands should contact their airlines, accommodations and activity providers for information on being prepared and make adjustments to travel plans as needed.
Weather Information
Up-to-date online information on the trek of Hurricane Lane is available at the following:
National Weather Service Forecast: www.weather.gov/hawaii
Central Pacific Hurricane Center: www.weather.gov/cphc
Hurricane Preparedness: https://www.facebook.com/Prepa
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