Hurricane Madeline is now considered a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, and it has a real chance of threatening the Big Island with high winds, rain and surf.
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With the possibilty of a one-two punch – with Hurricane Lester close behind – Hawaii Island’s interim civil defense administrator Ed Teixeira said they’ve started contacting various county and other agencies to be one step ahead of the storms.
Meanwhile, Lester – the eye of which was located about 1,085 miles east of Hilo island at 5am Wednesday – remains Class 4 for now, with wind speeds of 130mph.
The hurricane had sustained winds near 115 miles per hour.
Meanwhile a hurricane in the Atlantic, Gaston, has surged to a Category Three storm, U.S. weather trackers said. Given the elevated terrain of the islands, the rainfall, which could reach 12 inches, may cause risky mudslides and flash flooding. Up to 15 inches of rain was forecast for some areas of the Big Island, with up to 25-foot waves on east-facing shores.
A flash flood watch also is posted for Hawaii Island on Wednesday and Thursday.
Judy Donovan, Kona Community Hospital spokeswoman, said the West Hawaii region’s facilities, including Kona Community and Kohala Hospital, are ready for the storm.
Bryan Koon, the director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management, said at a news conference Tuesday morning that the storm in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to strengthen. He became the first major hurricane of the season with winds as high as 120 miles per hour.
Madeline was a Category 3 hurricane at midday Monday.
Heavy rain caused some local street flooding in South Florida on Tuesday, and more is forecast for Wednesday.
On its current path, the system could make landfall on Florida’s north-central Gulf Coast on Thursday, bringing storms into Georgia and the eastern Carolinas on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. Gov. David Ige signed an emergency declaration Tuesday, and residents are beginning to stock up on food and water.
Park officials said Tuesday that the coastal lava viewing area will close by Wednesday morning.
State and County government services will be closed on Hawaii Island along with Hele-On Bus service, solid waste transfer stations and landfills.
An 11 a.m. update on Tuesday from the National Hurricane Center says the tropical depression could become a named storm later in the day.
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The Red Cross provides disaster-preparedness guides here.
