Hawaii braced for strong winds after Tropical Storm Hone formed on 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 had maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour on Saturday. The storm, which was about 355 miles east-southeast of Honolulu, was expected to remain just below hurricane strength at its peak Sunday through Monday, forecasters said.
A tropical storm warning was issued for Hawaii County, meaning that tropical storm conditions were possible there over the next 36 hours.
The forecast for Tropical Storm Hone (pronounced “ho-NAY”) remained on track Saturday morning, with confidence among forecasters that it will pass just south of the Big Island, bringing damaging winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour, wildfire conditions and then flooding rains as it spins past.
A weather pattern with high pressure to the north of the islands and low pressure of Hone to the south will enhance the winds across the little islands as early as Saturday morning, especially for communities on the western side of the mountains.
The air will remain dry across most of the state on Saturday ahead of Hone. The combination of dry air, strong winds and drought conditions elevates the threat of wildfires on Saturday afternoon.
Forecasters issued a Red Flag Warning for leeward areas Saturday afternoon, which warns people that weather conditions are viable for wildfire if one were to start.
In Hawaii, officials and residents largely said they were preparing, but not yet with a sense of alarm.
Key things to know about this storm system.
Over the weekend, rainfall amounts may reach six to 12 inches along the windward areas of the Big Island of Hawaii, with two to four 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.
As Hone moves away, Hurricane Gilma will approach. Unlike Hone, Gilma’s path is very uncertain, and how much it will affect the islands may not be known for a few days.
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.
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