Hurricane Nolo Takes Aim at Hawaii With Catastrophic Flooding Feared

Hurricane Nolo strengthened into a hurricane late Thursday and is taking aim at Hawaii. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center put its maximum sustained winds near 80 mph in the Thursday night advisory, with the storm centered about 240 miles south of the Big Island and creeping north at 5 mph. Forecasters expect Nolo to reach major hurricane strength by Saturday, so those wind and distance numbers are current only as of the latest advisory and will keep changing as it closes in.

A Hurricane Watch and a Tropical Storm Warning are up for Hawaii County, and Maui County is under a Tropical Storm Watch. The bigger threat here is water, not wind. The eastern and southern Big Island could see 15 to 30 inches of rain, with isolated amounts near 35 inches, which the National Weather Service in Honolulu warns is enough for catastrophic, life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Storm surge of 1 to 3 feet, large waves, and dangerous rip currents are forecast along exposed east- and south-facing shores.

Nolo is the latest system in an unusually busy central Pacific season that a strong El Nino has helped drive, striking islands that were already hit earlier this year. Island living raises the stakes in a way mainland coasts do not face. Ports and airports close ahead of a storm, resupply stops, and there is no driving inland to get away. That is the case for treating your own household reserve as the first help you can count on.

If you are anywhere in Nolo's path, this is the window to prepare for a hurricane while stores are still open, and to refresh what to do during a hurricane before conditions turn. With this much rain in the forecast, walk through flood readiness and set water aside now. Utility crews stage before landfall, so knowing how to prepare for a power outage keeps a wet, dark house manageable. Once the winds ease, the work shifts to the aftermath of a hurricane.