Schools, courts and government offices on Maui were set to close at noon Friday.
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Maui County officials were busy Thursday preparing for possible impacts from Lester, and were deploying generators, topping out fuel and planning to open emergency shelters.
The storm had threatened to disrupt a visit by President Barack Obama and dignitaries meeting in Hawaii for the World Conservation Congress, a major conference of thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists and policy makers. The storm is expected to flood streets in the Charleston area which can see high tide flooding even on sunny days.
The Hawaiian islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe were under a tropical storm watch, but there were no alerts for Oahu or Kauai.
(AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy). A man stands in front of the boarded-up Pahoa Family Health Center in Pahoa, Hawaii after Tropical Storm Madeline moved through the area, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016.
They are also urging visitors to Hawaii to heed warnings from lifeguards and officials. Heavy rains associated with Lester may reach Hawaii and Maui counties on Saturday, and may affect other Hawaiian Islands later Saturday and Sunday. It was passing just south of the Big Island of Hawaii with maximum sustained winds near 65mph (100 kph). She says the department will remain vigilant as Hurricane Lester makes its way to the islands. By 11 p.m. EDT, Lester had crossed into the Central Pacific Ocean basin.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a strong tropical storm or a category 1 hurricane”, said Eric Lau, a meteorologist with the weather service. And on the East Coast, a tropical storm warning was issued for an area extending from Marineland, Florida, northward to the South Santee River in SC.
Hawaii Island was pummelled with heavy rains and powerful waves but residents woke to blue skies and little damage after Madeline skirted the island. He says all islands could be impacted as the storm passes. The storm could hit Hawaii over Labour Day weekend, though it could be weaker by then.
It’s worth noting that President Barack Obama was in Hawaii this week to address the 2016 Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders. But it is still too far away to predict its exact path and effects on the islands.
Time lapse video of the hurricanes shows the eye of each storm amid swirling white clouds as the International Space Station passed more than 257 miles above the Earth.
Lester remains a category three on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, a major hurricane, with maximum sustained winds near 125 miles per hour with higher gusts. The winds will bring the potential of blowing objects, power outages and downed tree branches.
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Florida’s Gulf coast was bracing Thursday for a hit from Tropical Storm Hermine, which forecasters said could make landfall as a hurricane.
