Hawaii Governor Josh Green urged residents to prepare for “incredible amounts of water” as a powerful storm threatens the state with heavy rain, flash flooding, strong winds and dangerous waves.
“Winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and dangerous waves are possible across the state over the weekend,” Green said.
Dozens of flights were canceled as severe weather affected airports across Hawaii.
According to FlightAware.com, 40% of flights were grounded at Kona International Airport, the largest airport on Hawaii’s Big Island. At Hilo International Airport, another major airport on the island, approximately 80% of flights were canceled.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued especially serious warnings for areas southeast of the Big Island, where intense rainfall could create life-threatening flooding.
“Flooding from heavy rainfall could require numerous evacuations and rescues,” the NWS said. The agency warned that rivers and tributaries “could rapidly overflow their banks in multiple locations.”
Authorities repeatedly urged Hawaii residents to complete storm preparations as early as possible.
Local Facebook message boards showed residents filling sandbags to protect their homes and asking whether stores would open early Saturday morning.
The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said public evacuation shelters are available in all counties on Hawaii Island.
“At this point, you should have completed your storm preparations and focused on your evacuation plan,” officials said in a post on X.
Iniki was a powerful Category 4 hurricane and the last hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii in 1992.
The storm made landfall on Kauai’s southern coast, killing six people and causing approximately $3 billion in damage.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk