One week after Hurricane Lala left flooding and widespread power outages across the Big Island, Tropical Storm Moke is closing in on Hawaii, promising another round of heavy rain and gusty winds. Residents were making preparations Saturday as the storm advanced toward the archipelago.
According to the National Hurricane Center, as of 11 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time (21:00 GMT), Moke was centered about 684 kilometers (425 miles) south of Hilo, a city on the eastern coast of Hawaii Island. The storm was moving west-northwest at 19 kilometers per hour (12 mph), with maximum sustained winds of approximately 85 km/h (50 mph).
Forecasters say Moke, like Lala, is expected to spare the Big Island a direct hit. But the island is still recovering from Lala, a Category 1 storm that caused heavy flooding and power outages. At least one person died in last weekend’s storm. Lala came close enough to the island to drop more than 1,000 millimeters (39 inches) of rain in some locations, pushing rivers to burst their banks. High winds bent tall palm trees and downed electrical lines, leaving nearly 130,000 utility customers without power.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green implored residents to stock up on food, medicine and other essentials ahead of Moke’s passage. “It could certainly have a big impact because we’ve already been hit hard,” Green said in a video statement. “We’re pre-positioning all kinds of additional equipment and people. I’ve also authorised 100 rooms, hotel rooms, for people to go to, in case they don’t have enough services or protection, safety.”
Green noted that power has been restored to most of Hawaii Island following Lala, though some remote areas remain in the dark. He said electricity is expected to be fully restored by September 8.
After passing south of Hawaii Island overnight, Moke is projected to continue moving westward near the islands through early Tuesday, said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the Honolulu office of the US National Weather Service. “There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala,” Oswant said.
The National Hurricane Center anticipates that Moke will deliver roughly 130 to 250 millimeters (5 to 10 inches) of rain to the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island over the next two days, with isolated amounts reaching 380 millimeters (15 inches). Eastern Maui could see 76 to 150 millimeters (3 to 6 inches), with lighter amounts elsewhere across the island chain.
Green warned that the wet weather is far from over. “Everyone be very careful,” he said. “This storm will be followed by another storm front about a week later, and we continue to see the impacts of these major weather fronts that have hit Hawaii.”
