Hurricane warnings in Hawaii as islands face rare threat
Hurricane Hone could bring up to 250 mm of rain to parts of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend
A hurricane warning is in effect for parts of Hawaii this weekend as Hurricane Hone approaches the popular tourist destination.
Forecasters expect widespread heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding and landslides, as well as gusty winds, rough surf, and a risk for rip currents throughout the state's coastline.
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Hurricane Hone has steadily gathered strength since it first developed on Thursday.
Hone packed sustained winds of more than 100 km/h on Saturday afternoon, with higher gusts near the core of the storm. On its current track, the tropical storm will graze the southern tip of the Big Island as it continues moving west-northwest into early next week.
Very heavy rainfall will spread over the Big Island as the storm passes to the south. The NHC expects 125 to 250 mm of rain to fall along the island’s southern and eastern slopes, which could cause flash flooding and landslides across the region’s rugged terrain. The smaller Hawaiian Islands could see 50 to 100 mm of rain over the next few days.
All of Hawaii’s southern and eastern facing shores will face “life-threatening surf” and rip currents, according to the NHC. Rip currents are a common and deadly hazard for beachgoers.
Looking beyond Hone, the remnants of Hurricane Gilma could approach the island chain later this week with more unsettled weather.
Tropical storms are relatively rare in Hawaii
It’s relatively rare for storms in this part of the world to track close enough to the popular destination to warrant watching by residents and visitors alike.
The tropical island chain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean faces a direct threat from a storm every couple of years. According to historical records, only 30 tropical storms or hurricanes have come within 100 km of the Hawaiian Islands since 1950.
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Linda was the most recent named storm to make landfall in Hawaii. The once-powerful hurricane weakened to a tropical storm before striking the island of Molokai on August 23, 2021.
One year earlier, Hurricane Douglas made an uncomfortably close pass to the entire island chain as it moved through the region as a Category 1 storm. The islands saw gusty winds, heavy rain, and rough swells as the hurricane skirted the state.
The last storm to make direct landfall in Hawaii at hurricane strength was Hurricane Iniki on September 11, 1992. Iniki struck the island of Kauai as a Category 4 with maximum winds of about 200 km/h, killing six people and causing more than $3 billion (USD) in damage.
Header image courtesy of NOAA.