BFF-26 Tropical Storm Lane causes ‘severe’ flooding in Hawaii

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WEATHER-US-HURRICANE-HAWAII

Tropical Storm Lane causes ‘severe’ flooding in Hawaii

HONOLULU, Aug 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Torrential rain pounded Hawaii on
Saturday as Hurricane Lane, now downgraded to a tropical storm, slowly
skirted the Pacific state, dumping enough rain to trigger landslides and
“catastrophic” flooding.

By 0900 GMT, Lane was located some 135 miles (220 kilometers) south-
southwest of the capital Honolulu and crawling towards it at just three
miles per hour.

The storm’s outer bands were “producing severe flooding across parts of the
Hawaiian islands,” the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.

Lane, which could spawn isolated tornadoes, “will produce excessive
rainfall this weekend, which could lead to additional flash flooding and
landslides,” it warned.

Currently packing winds of 65 miles per hour, the storm was expected to
turn west, away from the Pacific islands by late Saturday.

Heavy rain from the slow-moving storm “will continue to impact the Hawaiian
islands into the weekend, leading to catastrophic and life-threatening
flash flooding and landslides,” the National Weather Center said.

Brad Kieserman with the American Red Cross told reporters more than 2,000
people were sheltering in 45 evacuation centers.

“I would not be surprised to wake up tomorrow morning and see evacuation
center populations at or above 2,500 or 3,000,” he added.

– ‘Whiteout’ conditions –

Almost 25 inches (60 centimeters) of rain fell on the iconic Waikiki Beach
in the last 36 hours, forcing its closure as hoteliers and store owners
piled sandbags outside their businesses.

The mainly-rural Big Island — home to the still-erupting Kilauea Volcano –
– has taken the worst hit so far, with more than 30 inches of rain in about
24 hours.

Experts warned of “whiteout conditions” — steam loaded with particles and
toxic gases produced when cool moisture hits lava — as the storm passes.

Lane should have little effect on the eruption “aside from minor rockfalls
at the summit and increased steaming” from two vents, the US Geological
Survey said.

However “whiteout conditions could occur… due to steam produced by heavy
rain falling on still-hot lava flows.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long warned of major
power grid disruptions.

“We need to set the expectation that the power could go off for quite some
time and the infrastructure is going to be heavily impacted,” Long said.

Residents across the state have been stocking up on water, food, gasoline
and emergency supplies as Lane approached.

– Flight cancellations –

United, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have canceled some or all
international and domestic flights.

The US Coast Guard says 57,000 US military personnel stationed in Hawaii
are ready to offer medical support and conduct search and rescue
operations.

“I’ve not seen such dramatic changes in the forecast track as I’ve seen
with this storm,” Governor David Ige said in a statement as he declared a
state of emergency earlier this week on the Big Island.

President Donald Trump called Ige, the White House said, to offer support
and discuss preparedness and emergency measures.

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.

Federal officials have been working with Hawaiian utility managers to
monitor the power grid, a major vulnerability in Puerto Rico last year when
it was hit by Hurricane Maria, a powerful Category Four hurricane.

Hurricane-related deaths in Puerto Rico have been estimated at as many as
4,600 people, largely because prolonged and widespread power outages and
washed out roads prevented access to health care, US researchers said.

BSS/AFP/ARS/1806 hrs