(Image source from: Killeen Daily Herald)
Hawaii residents rushed to grocery stores on Tuesday to stock up on drinking water, ramen and toilet tissue as they faced the menace of flash flooding, heavy rain, and high surf from a powerful and erratic hurricane anticipated to churn close to the islands or instantly over them.
On Tuesday night, the National Weather Service proclaimed that Hurricane Lane had strengthened to become a Category 5 hurricane, which means that it is likely to cause catastrophic damage with winds 157 mph or above. The hurricane is about 500 miles (804 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu.
Earlier Tuesday, the weather service issued a hurricane warning for Hawaii island. A hurricane watch was issued for Oahu, Maui and other smaller islands, meaning tropical storm-force winds, excessive rain and large swells could arrive starting Wednesday.
Hurricane Lane "is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall," the weather service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned as it got closer to the state.
The storm had been moving west but is expected to turn northwest toward the state Wednesday. There's some uncertainty to Lane's path - whether it moves north or south, meteorologist Gavin Shigesato said.
"It is much too early to confidently determine which, if any, of the main Hawaiian islands, will be directly impacted by Lane," the weather service said.
But the hurricane center said the storm will move very close to or over the islands from Thursday through Saturday. Even if the center of Lane does not make landfall, the islands could be walloped with rain and wind.
The state Department of Education said that Maui County and Big Island schools will be closed starting Wednesday. All after-school activities statewide are canceled for the rest of the week.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige said that he is allowing non-essential state employees on the Big Island and Maui to go on administrative leave from Wednesday to Friday as Hurricane Lane approaches. Employees on Hawaii and Maui islands who work in disaster response as well as in hospitals and prisons are required to report to their jobs.
"At this time, it looks like maybe Puna will be spared," county Managing Director Wil Okabe said of the beleaguered, rural district. "But you never know."
Officials were urging residents across the islands to prepare.
From Tuesday to Sunday, Hawaiian Airlines is waiving change fees for tickets to, from, within and through Hawaii.
By Sowmya Sangam
