Back-to-back tropical cylones threaten Hawaii

Wednesday, August 6, 2014, 10:23 AM - Store supplies are flying off shelves in Hawaii faster than workers can restock them.

Officials say a local Costco ran out of bottled water and toilet paper Tuesday with more than 600 customers passing through in just 15 minutes.

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People packed their carts with everything from water, to toilet paper and paper towels as two tropical cyclones, Iselle and Julio, are threatening the Hawaiian Islands.

Hurricane #Julio advisory 10 issued. #Julio strengthens into the fifth hurricane of the 2014 eastern north pa... https://t.co/8VNKj8GtV2

— Natl Hurricane Ctr (@NHC_Pacific) August 6, 2014

Though it's not clear how damaging the storms could be, officials say two approaching storms within days is extremely rare.

"Dating to 1949, there is only one case where tropical cyclones with direct impact were even 10 days apart," said Kevin Roth, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel. "That happened in 1982, when what had become Tropical Depression Daniel on July 22 was followed by Tropical Storm Gilma, which brushed the southern tip of the Big Island on Aug. 1. Incidentally, later that season, Hurricane Iwa tracked just west of Kauai in late November and caused an estimated at $234 million in damage."

Roth says a pair of tropical cyclones directly affecting Hawaii in just two to three days' time "is unprecedented in the satellite era," weather.com adds.

Iselle is expected to make landfall by Thursday as a tropical storm, while Julio, which strengthened into the fifth hurricane of the 2014 Pacific season on Wednesday, potentially hitting just three days later.

Many in Hawaii aren't taking any chances and stores say they are re-stocking shelves as frequently as possible. According to Costco's assistant general manager in Honolulu however, it looks like everyone will be out of water by Wednesday.

"This one seems to be a little bit busier than normal just because of the severity of the one and the one right after it coming," says manager Scott Ankrom. "But it always comes as soon as you see that something's coming. Usually the three or four days beforehand, everybody rushes because they realize just how prepared they really aren't."

As of early August, the eastern Pacific had already spawned 10 named storms, says weather.com, including three Category 4 hurricanes.

"On Aug. 4, Iselle became the season's third Category 4 eastern Pacific hurricane."

With files from CNN