ZCZC
BFF-16
WEATHER-US-HURRICANE-HAWAII
Tropical Storm Lane heads away from Hawaii islands
HONOLULU, Aug 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Tropical Storm Lane limped away from
the Hawaii islands on Saturday after dumping heavy rain that triggered flash
floods but caused no known casualties.
Lane, a powerful Category Five hurricane that weakened into a tropical
storm as it approached Hawaii, was located about 195 miles (310 kilometers)
southwest of Honolulu, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in its 0300
GMT Sunday bulletin.
Lane had maximum sustained winds of 50 miles (85 kilometers) per hour, and
was moving west into the open Pacific at nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour.
The National Weather Service dropped all warnings for Lane, but a local
flash-flood warning remained in effect.
By Saturday afternoon all Hawaii airports and sea ports were back to
normal operations, officials said.
Lane dumped enough rain to trigger landslides — several of which blocked
the main island’s Highway 19, a major thoroughfare — and cause severe
flooding in many areas.
The storm may have moved on, but its effects will be felt for several more
days.
“Lingering moisture associated with Tropical Storm Lane will produce
excessive rainfall over the main Hawaiian Islands through Sunday, which could
lead to additional flash flooding and landslides,” the Hurricane Center
warned.
Governor David Ige said that several school and college campuses had been
flooded and were expected to reopen on Tuesday.
Wet conditions will continue through much of next week, bringing up to 10
inches (25 centimeters) of additional rain in already saturated lower areas
and twice that much at higher elevations, Federal Emergency Management Agency
officials said.
Emergency planners however noted that there were no large-scale power
outages, and food and water supplies remained sufficient.
At the height of the storm rain was so heavy that authorities closed the
iconic Waikiki Beach, and hoteliers and store owners piled sandbags outside
their businesses.
The last major storm to strike Hawaii was nearly three decades ago, when
Hurricane Iniki hit the island of Kauai, leaving six dead and causing
billions of dollars in damage.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1136 hrs