These waves, in combination with a possible storm surge of 1 to 2 feet, may cause significant wave runup or damage to coastal properties and infrastructure, including roadways, the weather service said. Schools, courts and government offices on Maui were set to close at noon Friday. Officials plan to assess Saturday morning whether to open emergency shelters.
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Ports are opening Thursday so ships can deliver goods and services to the Big Island before the possible arrival of Hurricane Lester.
Lester maintained its strong Category 2 status for days, and Oahu was under its first Hurricane Watch since Hurricane Iwa in 1982.
Lester was churning in the Pacific Ocean some 400 miles (644 km) east of Hilo, Hawaii, at 8 a.m. local time (1800 GMT) on Friday and was expected to weaken and track slightly north of the islands over the weekend. For public charter school information, go to Chartercommission.hawaii.gov.
Madeline’s center was 175 miles south of Hilo and moving southwest and away from the state at 15 mph – not predicted to make landfall on any Hawaiian island. “Any small deviation from the forecast track could bring direct and profound impacts to the state, and this possibility must be considered when making preparations”, forecasters said.
In 1992 “Oahu was initially issued a tropical storm warning”, said Eric Lau, a Central Pacific Hurricane Center meteorologist, adding that officials have not found archival evidence a hurricane watch was issued for Oahu at that time.
The Category 2 storm is weakening but is expected to remain a hurricane as it passes north of the islands.
Lester was carrying maximum sustained winds near 110 miles per hour on Friday morning. They were among thousands of visitors to Hawaii adjusting their expectations of paradise this week as two hurricanes threatened to hit the islands. But if the storm veers to the south it could have a much greater impact, said Ian Morrison, meteorologist from the National Weather Service.
Lester is expected to slowly weaken and remain a hurricane as it blows by the state. After it passes it’s expected to further weaken to a tropical storm.
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.
A tropical storm warning for Madeline in Hawaii has been canceled. However, the islands will feel the effects of strong winds. Winds out of the northeast from 15 – 25 miles per hour and gusting to 35 miles per hour. The winds will bring the potential of blowing objects, power outages and downed tree branches.
One business was thinking ahead to Lester as they boarded up windows at Hulakai Store, a surf shop in Hilo, on Wednesday ahead of Madeline.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Lester continues to track toward Hawaii.
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“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.
