Deluge begins in Hawaii as Hurricane Nolo continues to strengthen

Hawaii Braces for Flooding Threat as Hurricane Nolo Nears

Healfromzero.com – Hurricane Nolo is bringing intensifying rain to southern Hawaii, raising fresh concerns about flooding and mudslides after the state’s third close encounter with a dangerous tropical system in six weeks.

The Big Island faces the most serious conditions as Nolo strengthens and passes nearest to the island on Saturday local time. While the hurricane’s core is forecast to remain well south of Hawaii, its outer rainbands are already moving across parts of the Big Island and are expected to expand toward Maui, Lanai and Molokai.

Hawaii’s steep terrain and already saturated ground create particular danger during heavy rainfall. Communities recovering from Hurricane Lala’s catastrophic flooding in August could again face rapidly rising water, runoff and landslides.

Category 2 hurricane could strengthen further

Nolo underwent rapid intensification on Friday, reaching Category 2 strength, and remained there Saturday morning. Rapid intensification occurs when a storm’s maximum sustained winds increase by at least 35 mph within 24 hours or less. Such episodes are becoming more common as fossil fuel pollution warms the planet.

Forecasters expect Nolo to make its closest approach as either a powerful Category 2 hurricane or a Category 3 major hurricane. Its strongest sustained winds should stay offshore, but exposed higher terrain on the Big Island could still experience tropical-storm-force winds above 40 mph. Hurricane-force gusts exceeding 75 mph remain possible in some elevated locations.

The more widespread risk comes from rainfall. Eastern and southern areas of the Big Island could receive 8 to 12 inches through Sunday, with as much as 16 inches possible in the steepest terrain. Western portions of the island may see up to 6 inches.

Eastern Maui could receive 4 to 6 inches, with isolated totals reaching 8 inches. Elsewhere across the main Hawaiian Islands, rainfall totals of roughly 1 to 3 inches are anticipated.

Recent storms have left Hawaii vulnerable

The expected rain totals from Nolo are below those produced by Hurricane Lala, but the potential for dangerous flooding remains substantial. Lala passed near the Big Island in mid-August as a Category 1 hurricane and dropped more than 40 inches of rain in some mountainous areas. The resulting flash flooding was catastrophic, and recovery efforts are still underway.

Hurricane Lowell brought another major disruption in early September, striking Kauai and Niihau as a Category 2 storm. Nolo now represents the latest test for a state that has faced repeated severe weather emergencies in a short period.

Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency ahead of Nolo, marking the third storm-related declaration this month. President Donald Trump also approved Hawaii’s request for a pre-landfall Presidential Emergency Declaration, Green said Friday.

Public services and schools have adjusted operations as the storm approaches. State and county offices, public schools and the University of Hawaii were closed Thursday and Friday on the Big Island. Maui closures were also planned for Friday.

Shelters, hotel rooms and emergency crews prepared

County officials have opened shelters on the Big Island, while the state has secured 100 hotel rooms for residents who decide to evacuate. Roughly 400 National Guard members have been placed around Hawaii, including 121 on the Big Island.

“If your home flooded before, or is at risk, consider moving to safer shelter before the full force of the storm hits,” Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said in a Wednesday news release. “Because the ground remains saturated, flooding may happen rapidly.”

The warning reflects a key concern for residents: rain can become hazardous well before the closest point of approach, especially where drainage systems, streams and mountain slopes are already under strain. People in flood-prone areas should remain alert to local emergency guidance, road closures and shelter information as conditions change.

Hundreds of people across the state were still staying in hotels after displacement from earlier disasters, including Hurricanes Lala and Lowell, Department of Human Services director Joseph Campos said during a Wednesday news conference.

On Maui, officials have prepared generators and storm-response equipment while increasing police and fire staffing. Transit service will be suspended at different times through the weekend.

Dangerous surf will outlast the closest approach

Nolo is also generating hazardous ocean conditions. Large, rough seas were expected to peak Friday and Saturday, and dangerous surf may persist through the weekend and into next week. Even after the hurricane begins moving west away from Hawaii late Sunday into Monday, ocean conditions could remain unsafe.

Residents and visitors should take coastal warnings seriously, as tropical systems can produce dangerous waves and currents far from their center. The offshore track does not eliminate the risk from surf, rainfall or wind gusts across the islands.

Super El Niño supports active Pacific season

This year’s super El Niño has helped create favorable conditions for powerful Pacific tropical systems. Exceptionally warm ocean water and limited wind shear have supported storm development, while the lack of strong disruptive winds aloft has allowed some systems to intensify quickly.

Nolo is one of 19 named storms during an unusually active season. For Hawaii, the immediate focus is not simply the storm’s wind category, but the combination of heavy rain, steep terrain, saturated ground and hazardous seas. Those factors can turn an offshore passing hurricane into a major emergency for communities across the islands.