Hurricane Lane, a potential Hawaii flood disaster, may Pass dangerously close to Maui and Oahu, including Honolulu, on Friday (local time).
The center of the storm – which could become the first major cyclone to make landfall in the state in 26 years – is expected to hit parts of the US state on Friday.
Hurricane Lane is already unleashing torrential rain in parts of Hawaii, and may produce disastrous rainfall, flooding and landslides over much of the island chain, in addition to battering surf, coastal flooding and high winds through Saturday. Hawaii’s Big Island got more than 19 inches of rain in the last 24 hours because of Hurricane Lane, the National Weather Service in Honolulu reported.
Reports from The Weather Channel say that the Category 4 hurricane is just over 200 miles (321km) south of the Big Island. A hurricane warning remains in effect for Hawaii’s Big Island, Maui and Oahu, including Honolulu, meaning that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area.
“Hawaii is going to be impacted by Hurricane Lane. The question is, how bad?” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long told reporters Thursday.