A press deputy for Hawaii Governor David Inge said a state of emergency he declared ahead of Madeline, which drenched the Big Island earlier this week but did not cause any major damage, remained in place ahead of Lester.
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WAIMANALO, Hawaii (AP) – A hurricane watch was canceled as Hurricane Lester tracked north of the Hawaiian islands and residents flocked to beaches Saturday morning to marvel at the big waves the storm created.
In addition to the Hurricane watch high surf advisories for Oahu’s East shores are a real concern.
A Hurricane Watch has been issued for Hawaii County and for Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe. A tropical storm left the Big Island soggy but intact as residents prepared for the possible arrival of another storm, Hurricane Lester.
This is the first Hurricane Watch for Oahu since Hurricane Iwa in 1982, the National Weather Service in Honolulu says.
Madeline is forecast to hit the island late Wednesday and into Thursday morning, while Hurricane Lester is predicted to hit the entire islands this weekend. NOAA’s CPHC said that interests elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands should also monitor the progress of Lester.
The storm is weakening but it’s expected to remain a hurricane as it passes the islands Saturday and Sunday. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles from its center. Lester is moving toward the west-northwest near 14 miles per hour (22 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue the next couple of days.
Caldwell said that officials are not expecting a major impact from Hurricane Lester, but they’re preparing for the worst just in case.
“If you’re not an experienced ocean person, I would advise staying out of the water completely”, Rigg said.
Despite the first hurricane Madeline’s and the rain and wind coming with it has moved away from the island chain, hazards will continue for swimmers and boaters along the beaches as Hurricane Lester approaches from the east. But if the storm veers to the south it could have a much greater impact, said Ian Morrison, meteorologist from the National Weather Service says.
It looks better, but no one should take this fading threat not seriously.
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