Honolulu emergency officials are watching Moke as hurricanes weather turns toward Oahu, and Molly Pierce said they are hopeful for minimal impacts while still preparing for possible damage later Sunday.
Pierce, the Honolulu Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, said the storm looked much weaker than Hurricane Lala. She said, “We don’t anticipate these impacts to be as strong as the last one, but things are a little more fragile than they were before the last storm, just given all the wind and the rain that we’ve seen,”
Molly Pierce on Oahu
Pierce said the ground was pretty saturated and that trees, roofs and other surfaces were still unstable. She said, “The ground’s pretty saturated, a lot of trees and roofs and things, they’re pretty unstable, so we may not need impact as strong as the last storm to cause some damage.”
She also said almost everybody was back on power after the previous storm, but some trouble spots remained vulnerable. “Almost everybody’s back on, but it would only take a little bit to kind of hit some of those trouble spots or somewhere that didn’t go out, but was just barely hanging on,” she said.
Honolulu Emergency Management Agency
That is why the agency was actively coordinating to ensure resources were in place if needed. Pierce said new impacts could still affect areas already weakened by Hurricane Lala, and she warned that wind-blown debris could create problems there. She said the agency was also monitoring rainfall for possible effects on stream levels.
Pierce tied the response to the earlier storm and said the impact on Oahu reinforced the importance of preparedness among emergency management and the public. “We talk about it every year, it’s hurricane season, but it kind of just becomes, I think in a lot of our lives, a talking point, whereas now we’ve seen those power outages, we’ve seen populations being stuck at home or the like,” she said.
Sunday preparations in Hawaii
For residents who may lose power, water or access, Pierce said to have water, food and charged batteries ready. She said people who used emergency supplies during the last storm should replace, recharge and refresh their kits, and should obtain anything they found they were missing.
Her guidance also included safety steps for generators and flood-prone areas. “If you are using a generator, please make sure you do so according to the manufacturer guidelines,” she said. Residents in areas that flood routinely should have a go bag packed, and Pierce said safety should come first for anyone who may be affected later Sunday.
The immediate question for Oahu is not whether Moke will match Hurricane Lala, but whether weakened spots can hold through another round of rain and wind. Honolulu officials are already planning for the smaller hit that can still do the most practical damage.
