Hurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds persisted in areas of the island chain still recovering from previous storms. Nolo was about 365 miles (585km) south-south-west of Honolulu and moving away from the Big Island at about 12mph (19kph). But the Hawaii county civil defense agency said a high wind warning, wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening as Nolo’s maximum sustained winds rose to 115mph (165kph).
Nolo was expected to strengthen further and turn toward the north-west by Sunday night, though the US National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center would remain well south and south-west of the Hawaiian Islands. The storm was expected to approach the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a national conservation area, early this week. Forecasters said Nolo’s outer bands could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with parts of the Big Island possibly getting up to 20in (50cm ) of rain.
Heavy rain also was expected on the other islands. We can have trees and power lines down,” said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center. Heavy rain fell across the southern part of the Big Island on Saturday afternoon, prompting partial closures of one of the main highways linking Kailua-Kona in the west to Hilo in the east.
Near Naalehu, at the island’s southern point, National Guard members were seen guiding a man driving through flooded streets as he tried to leave his home during a downpour. More than 120 guard members were activated on the island, part of roughly 400 statewide after the governor issued an emergency proclamation. Residents are still recovering from Hurricane Lala , which produced heavy rain and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island.
About a dozen people were in the water Saturday morning at Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo on the Big Island, despite signs saying the strand was closed. Andrea Gill was out for her regular swim before heading back home to hunker down with family. Shop owners boarded up businesses, and events were canceled.
Gill said storms are common, but hurricanes are rare. She was holding out hope that the islands might not get the full impact. So it’s always a blessing when we don’t get the wind from the hurricane,” Gill said.
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