Hurricane Lowell, a powerful Category 3 storm in the Pacific Ocean, has moved closer to the Hawaiian islands, prompting urgent warnings from the US National Hurricane Center on Sunday. The storm is expected to bring severe winds and potential mudslides to the island chain as early as Monday night local time.
Lowell is forecast to pass just west of Hawaii's northwesternmost islands, Niihau and Kauai, and parts of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Kauai's mayor, Derek Kawakami, has issued an emergency proclamation. Coastal flooding of up to 1 meter (3 feet) is possible due to storm surges and unusually high tides.
The hurricane is moving north at 9 km/h (6 mph). Lowell originated as a tropical depression on August 27, fueled by warm ocean temperatures and an active El Niño pattern. It reached Category 5 intensity on Wednesday with winds of 257 km/h (160 mph), making it the second Category 5 hurricane of the season. Only two other Pacific hurricanes have regained Category 5 strength after weakening: Emilia (1994) and Ioke (2006).
Ioke was the strongest ever recorded in the central Pacific, while Hurricane Iniki in 1992 caused billions in damage on Kauai and killed six people. Lowell could bring 150 to 250 mm (6 to 10 inches) of rain, with isolated totals up to 360 mm (14 inches).
The storm's maximum sustained winds are 195 km/h (120 mph), and it is located about 895 km (555 miles) southwest of Honolulu. Local officials are urging residents and visitors to prepare for heavy rain and fierce winds that could trigger flash flooding and hazardous mudslides. The National Weather Service warns that tornadoes could accompany the tropical cyclone, typically forming in rain bands away from the center.
Hawaii's Big Island may see 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 inches) of rain, with localized peaks up to 305 mm (12 inches). Hurricane-force winds extend up to 85 km (50 miles) from the center, while tropical storm-force winds reach 280 km (175 miles). Kauai's Emergency Management Agency advises residents to fill gas tanks, charge devices, refill prescriptions, and stock up on water and food, preparing to stay home for several days.
The Kauai County government warned of life-threatening surf and rip currents, urging people to stay away from the ocean and shoreline. In Lihue, a town of 8,000, residents are panic-buying supplies. Real estate agent Lori Benkert purchased extra propane to cook on a barbecue if power fails, saying, "We'll lose some power, probably have some trees, a bunch of tree limbs coming down. Everybody is probably going just to hunker down."
Meanwhile, Hurricane Marie, a Category 1 storm, is churning 1,120 km (695 miles) south-southwest of San Diego, bringing dangerous surf to California and Mexico's Baja coast. Its winds are 120 km/h (75 mph). Tornadoes are rare in Hawaii, averaging about one per year; only 42 have been reported between 1950 and 2018, according to meteorologist Stephen Parker.
Source: www.aljazeera.com