All Hawaii Island public schools will re-open on Friday.
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“There’s always a lot of disbelief on the island that the storms will really be as big and bad as forecast”, Beckett said.
“This general motion is expected to continue tonight with a gradual turn toward the west on Thursday and Friday”, it predicted. Hurricane Lester remains on track to impact the islands this weekend, but possibly after being downgraded to a tropical storm.
The National Weather Service dropped the tropical storm warning for Madeline after it passed south of the island. Gaston did not arrive alone: It coincided with Tropical Storm Hermine, which has brought rains and winds to Florida, resulting in flooding in some parts.
Madeline was ranked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, the weather service said.
The most likely scenario is that Lester will take a track just to the north of the Hawaiian Islands, Brown said.
As it is, The National Weather Service says hurricane conditions are possible over Hawaii and Maui counties Saturday.
Meanwhile, tropical storm conditions are also possible over Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe, late Wednesday into early Thursday. Forecasters said continued weakening was expected.
The storm could hit Hawaii over Labour Day weekend, though it could be weaker by then.
With one storm barreling toward the island state after another, some Hawaii residents said they’re developing a special skill at preparing for storms, in a cycle of boarding up windows and then taking the protections down, again and again.
There were periods of intense rainfall Wednesday as the National Weather Service downgraded Madeline, with winds falling below hurricane strength of 74 miles per hour.
Madeline could be downgraded to the “Tropical Depression” category as it gradually becomes weaker. A hurricane warning was already in effect for a section of Florida’s Gulf coast from the Suwanne River to Mexico Beach.
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Gov. David Ige has issued an emergency proclamation for both storms, allowing the state to quickly spend money.
