Category 2 Hurricane Nolo is crawling south of Hawaii’s Big Island with 105 mph winds, prompting emergency declarations, school closures, and warnings of up to 25 inches of rain. Meanwhile, Hurricane Polo threatens Baja California Sur as the Pacific experiences a remarkably active storm season.
Hurricane Nolo Stalls South of Hawaii With Up to 25 Inches of Rain Expected
Category 2 Hurricane Nolo was churning slowly south of Hawaii’s Big Island on Saturday, holding stationary about 145 miles south of South Point. The slow-moving system carried maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 140 miles and hurricane-force winds reaching up to 45 miles from the center, according to advisories from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Forecasters warn that the storm is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane and peak in intensity by early Monday.
While Nolo is forecast to stay well south of the Hawaiian archipelago, its massive moisture band threatens catastrophic flooding. Eastern and southern portions of the Big Island could see rainfall totals ranging from 10 to 20 inches, with isolated maximum amounts reaching up to 25 inches. Neighboring Maui is under a tropical storm watch and could receive up to 10 inches of rain.
“Don’t venture out if you don’t have to into the dangerous flooding environment, but also high winds. We can have trees and power lines down,”Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center
Authorities have taken sweeping precautions across the islands. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Hawaii on Friday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate federal assistance and fund emergency measures. Gov. Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation activating hundreds of Hawaii National Guard members and schools and government offices began closing on Thursday in preparation for the storm.
Recovery Complicated by a Busy Pacific Hurricane Season
The threat from Nolo compounds an exhausting disaster timeline for Hawaii residents, who are still recovering from a series of severe natural events over the past year. Most recently, Hurricane Lala brushed the islands in August, stripping roughly 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island, followed closely by Hurricane Lowell pummeling Kauai.
To assist with the incoming storm, the humanitarian nonprofit group CORE spent the week coordinating air cargo shipments of camp stoves and hygiene supplies from Oahu to the Big Island community relief hub established during Hurricane Lala. Meanwhile, Hawaiian Electric redeployed utility crews that had been assisting with power restoration on Kauai back to Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
Hurricane Polo Threatens Baja California Sur as Multiple Systems Spin Across the Pacific
Across the Pacific basin, a separate major storm is bearing down on Mexico. Hurricane Polo was churning off Mexico’s southwestern coast on Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, threatening the Baja California peninsula with dangerous surf and heavy rainfall before its anticipated landfall and gradual weakening on Monday.
“Our people are concerned about this event,” said Gloriely Robles Meza, a manager at a small hotel there. “We haven’t faced such a worrying situation in many years.”Gloriely Robles Meza, manager at a small hotel