Men walk in the rain along Hilo Bay in Hilo, Hawaii, as Topical Storm Madeline drops rain on Hawaii’s Big Island.
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Forecasters downgraded Madeline from a hurricane to a tropical storm as it veered past Hawaii’s Big Island, but officials reiterated warnings to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds.
National Weather Service Presentation on Hurricanes.
“Madeline is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 5 to 10 inches, with isolated maximum amounts near 15 inches, across Hawaii County”, the CPHC said.
The Hawaii areas are bracing for possible impacts from Lester, which strengthened to a major Category 3 storm.
Forecasters say Lester is on a track to pass just north of the island chain over the weekend. Schools, courts and government offices on Maui were set to close at noon Friday.
Lester is expected to take a turn to the west-northwest, which should keep its center northeast of the Hawaiian islands.
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. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 miles per hour (85 kph) with higher gusts. Lester is expected to gradually weaken through Friday.
“It has passed south of our island”, Aton said. After battering the coast, the storm is expected to move across the northern part of the state and then barrel toward southern USA coastal regions on the Atlantic.
WIND: Hurricane conditions are possible over Hawaii and Maui counties Saturday.
They are also urging visitors to Hawaii to heed warnings from lifeguards and officials. Big Island schools were closed and about a dozen facilities were outfitted as emergency shelters.
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.
“There’s always a lot of disbelief on the island that the storms will really be as big and bad as forecast”, Beckett said.
As of 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), the storm was about 195 miles off the Florida coast and packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph).
“If they’re not prepared now, they should get prepared fast”, said Chevy Chevalier, a meteorologist with the weather service. A Hurricane Watch remains in effect for the Big Island (Hawaii County) and Maui County, and probabilities support the issuance of a Hurricane Watch for Oahu. But if the storm track shifts slightly to the north, the eye of the storm could pass over land. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from its center.
The specific impacts in terms of wind, rain and storm surge remain to be seen given the storm’s uncertain path.
WIND: Tropical storm force gusts are still possible over portions of Hawaii and Maui Counties for the next few hours. “It seems like this is the area where lots of the storms that are coming from the south come this way, so we are really anxious about it”. However, the islands will feel the effects of strong winds. The rainfall may lead to risky flash floods and mudslides, the weather service warned. The winds will bring the potential of blowing objects, power outages and downed tree branches.
Flooding problems could be exacerbated in areas that were affected by heavy rainfall from Madeline. Lester is moving along the southern flank of a low to mid level ridge and is coming under the influence of an upper level trough sitting over Hawaii.
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UPDATE: It will be business as usual for Hawaii County.
