Tropical Storm Nolo was holding steady Wednesday night as forecasters tracked it toward Hawaii Island Friday into Saturday, and Hawaii County was already under a Hurricane Watch. The National Hurricane Center said the watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the next 48 hours.
At 8 p.m. Wednesday, the storm was centered about 295 miles south of South Point, moving west at 7 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. Tropical storm force winds extended outward 80 miles from the center, and the forecast called for Nolo to turn northward on Thursday.
Hawaii County watch
The National Hurricane Center said hurricane conditions were possible in the watch area starting as early as Friday night. It also said residents and visitors should prepare for life-threatening winds of category 1 or 2 hurricane force, or 74 to 100 miles per hour, if the storm reaches the island as forecast.
The storm was expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Thursday and then intensify further into a major hurricane this weekend. That forecast gives Hawaii County a narrow window to prepare before the system reaches the islands.
Rain and surge threats
The rain forecast was as serious as the wind forecast. Tropical Storm Nolo was expected to drop 15 to 20 inches of rain across Hawaii Island, with maximum amounts of 35 inches, while Maui could see 5 to 10 inches and maximum amounts of 20 inches.
The National Weather Service forecast office in Honolulu issued a Flood Watch for the islands of Hawaii and Maui County from noon Wednesday through 6 p.m. Saturday. The watch covered a period when the National Weather Service and the First Alert Weather Team said people should have efforts to protect life and property underway now, with preparations for heavy rainfall, catastrophic flash flooding and considerable wind damage.
Hawaii Island Friday
Forecast rain totals also pointed to a wider impact beyond the wind zone. Across the rest of Hawaii, 1 to 3 inches of rain were possible, with maximum totals of 6 inches, while Hawaii County could also see storm surge heights of 1 to 3 feet above ground.
The flood threat carried added weight for parts of Hawaii Island that had already been heavily damaged by flooding from Hurricane Lala in August. For residents and visitors in Hawaii County, the immediate question is not whether the storm is on the map, but whether the watch period will hold long enough to get supplies, secure property and move before Friday night conditions arrive.
