Hawaii is bracing for strong winds in the coming days after Tropical Storm Hone formed Thursday in the Pacific, a year after a devastating fire, fanned by windy conditions, tore through the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina and left more than 100 people dead.
The storm system had maximum sustained winds of about 40 miles per hour on Thursday and was in the eastern Pacific about 1,000 miles away from Honolulu.
There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect as of Thursday afternoon, but the National Weather Service warned that watches could be required as soon as Thursday night or Friday. The tropical storm has an uncertain future path. It may pass dangerously close to the islands over the weekend, forecasters in Hawaii warned. But a change of even a few miles in the storm’s potential path could change its overall impact on the island chain.
Forecasters in Hawaii believe that Tropical Storm Hone may become a hurricane as it passes south of the Big Island. Even if the storm system doesn’t intensify to 74 m.p.h. or stronger, powerful winds and rain could begin affecting the eastern islands as early as Friday night and then statewide later Saturday through early next week.
“The triple threat that a tropical cyclone could bring includes strong and damaging winds, heavy and potentially flooding rainfall, as well as high surf and storm surge,” forecasters said.
Key things to know about this storm system.
Over the weekend, rainfall amounts may reach 4 to 8 inches along the windward areas of the Big Island of Hawaii, with 2 to 4 inches possible over windward sections of the smaller islands.
An ocean swell that could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents will reach the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend.
Much of Hawaii is in a moderate to extreme drought. The storm could bring beneficial rains but with possible tropical-storm-force winds, the fire risk will also increase.
Hurricane Gilma looms just behind this storm and could also threaten the islands soon after.
In August 2018, Hurricane Lane passed over 100 miles south of the Hawaiian Island chain and pummeled the island of Hawaii with 58 inches of rainfall, the most the state has ever seen from a tropical system.
While the Big Island was in a deluge, the most damaging winds from Lane remained offshore, but in western Maui, they were still gusty enough to fan the flames of a series of wildfires. Then, in an ominous precursor to last year’s deadly fire, “three wildfires rapidly charred 2,000 acres and destroyed 21 residential structures, causing over $4 million in reported damage,” according to a report filed the following year.
The Lahaina wildfire last year was the deadliest in the United States in 100 years, killing more than 100 people and destroying the town. Powerful winds, possibly enhanced by Hurricane Dora, spinning to the south, helped the flames grow out of control when they encountered the combustible dry grass that covered nearby hills.
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