Hurricane Hone moved past Hawaii island Sunday, but strong, gusty easterly wind and periods of heavy showers are expected to continue this morning.
A National Weather Service flash flood warning and wind advisory remained in effect for Hawaii island through at least 9:15 p.m. Sunday, though the Central Pacific Hurricane Center canceled its tropical storm warning Sunday afternoon.
Hone, whose name is Hawaiian for “sweet and soft,” was forecast by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center to weaken and become a tropical storm by early today.
Hone was still a hurricane at 5 p.m. Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, and was centered 175 miles west of Kailua-Kona and 160 miles south-southwest of Honolulu, according to CPHC forecasters. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 10 miles from Hone’s center, and tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extended up to 90 miles.
Meanwhile, another storm, Hurricane Gilma, is nearing Hawaii. Located about 1,310 miles east of Hilo as of Sunday evening, Gilma’s maximum sustained winds had decreased to near 105 mph with higher gusts. Current weather forecasts project Gilma will weaken but possibly bring more rainfall as it passes the Hawaiian Islands later this week.
Despite Hone’s weakening, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said in a statement Sunday that it had “caused a significant amount of wind, rain, and flood damage” and that “multiple roads remain closed, many utility lines and trees are down, and rivers and streams are at capacity.”
Highway 11 in the Kau district between Whittington Park and Punaluluu was closed due to roadway flooding. In the Kau district, Highway 11 was closed at Kawa Flats along with Wood Valley and Cane Haul roads near Pahala.
The state Department of Education announced Sunday that Kau High & Pahala Elementary School and Naalehu Elementary School are closed to students and staff today due to hazardous road conditions. With Highway 11 shut down, the campuses are inaccessible to families and staff.
In response to the storm, other points of interest closed on Hawaii island include Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, which shut down coastal and Mauna Loa summit backcountry areas to day hiking and overnight camping.
Flash flooding was expected to occur in Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Kapaau, Honokaa, the Pohakuloa Training Area, Pohakuloa Camp, Volcano, Glenwood, Mountain View, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Wood Valley, Pahala, Hawaiian Acres, Papaikou, Keaau, Honomu, Pepeekeo, Orchidlands Estates and Laupahoehoe.
As many as 18,150 Hawaiian Electric customers were without power across Hawaii island, Oahu and Maui at the peak of the storm-related power outage. By early Sunday evening there were still over 900 Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui and Oahu without power, according to the company’s outage map.
Hawaiian Electric told Upcountry Maui customers Sunday to prepare for an extended outage, possibly overnight, as crews work to restore power lines brought down by the storm. On Hawaii island, power was expected to be restored to North Kohala by 7 p.m. Sunday and in the Volcano area by 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
Heavy rain and wind might delay the ability to safely make repairs, the utility said. Crews at one point were unable to access the Punaluu area due to road closures caused by flooding.
An equipment failure at the Iwilei substation on Oahu caused an outage at about 5 a.m. Sunday from downtown Honolulu to Chinatown, according to a news release. Workers repaired and restored power to customers after 10 a.m.
Meanwhile, a car that hit a separate high-voltage transformer in a parking garage caused a separate downtown outage at about 3:40 a.m. Sunday.
Adam Shin decided to close Kamamalu Market on Lusitana Street in Honolulu early Sunday after losing power for more than three hours.
“So, I’ll have to take a loss for the day. Gotta make a claim with HECO now,” said Shin, whose market is normally open from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Hawaiian Electric warned customers that if they see a downed power line, assume it is energized and dangerous. Stay at least 30 feet or more away from all power lines. Warn others to stay away.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority advised travelers Sunday that it was safe to travel but urged them to remain vigilant as Hurricane Hone passed south of the Hawaiian Islands.
HTA advised travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport as flights to and from Hilo were canceled due to heavy winds on Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday.
Hawaiian Airlines said it will operate two additional round-trip flights today between Honolulu and Hilo, plus two extra flights to Hilo from Honolulu, to accommodate guests whose travel was disrupted by Hone.
HTA also advised travelers to consider postponing outdoor activities while advisories were in effect, and to get updated beach conditions at hawaiibeachsafety.com, as tropical storms and hurricanes affect the tides.
The NWS issued a high-surf advisory of 7 to 10 feet Sunday for the east-facing shores of Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai, and it was expected to remain in place until 6 a.m. today. NWS said strong breaking waves and currents are expected to make swimming dangerous.
NWS said in a statement, “Heed all advice from ocean safety officials. When in doubt, don’t go out.”
Emergency proclamation for Storm Hone by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
