Story updated at 12 p.m., 7/26/20
Hurricane Douglas is now spiraling on a northwesterly course just above the Hawaiian Islands and still “dangerously close” to the island chain, local forecasters say.
As of 11 a.m. Sunday, Douglas’ Category 1 strength had weakened somewhat, with winds 85 miles per hour. It continued to churn to the west and to the north, about 55 miles east of Kahului and 90 miles from Honolulu.
Maui County will see the peak impacts through the next few hours — there was no severe damage reported on Maui island as of 11 a.m., according to Mayor Mike Victorino.
Oahu should see the triple-threat force of severe winds, life-threatening surf and heavy rains starting this afternoon, officials said.
“This is the closest approach for a hurricane that we’ve had in at least the last decade,” Gov. David Ige said in a Sunday press briefing.
The 11 a.m. Sunday forecast for Hurricane Douglas shows a ‘dangerously close’ course just north of the Hawaiian Islands.
NWS
Hawaii island appears to have been spared. Hawaii County Police Chief Paul Ferreira said that as of about 9 a.m. Sunday, there were no reports of high wind, heavy rain or any damages on Hawaii Island. “So far we’ve managed to dodge the bullet,” he said via text message.
Now, forecasters are watching the storm’s course extremely closely in case it “jogs to the left” — cutting further west and closer to the islands, said Robert Ballard, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s science and operations officer.
Even the slightest “zig” or “wobble” in that track could make the bad weather drastically worse, he said. A direct hit on Honolulu is “not the most likely” — but still definitely possible, Ballard said.
Douglas is still “uncomfortably and dangerously close,” he added.
Officials with the hurricane center said they expect the storm to bring heavy and life-threatening surf to the islands’ north- and east-facing shores.
Ports in Honolulu and Kauai counties entered condition “Zulu” on Sunday morning per Coast Guard order. Not only does that close those ports to incoming craft, but it also requires any vessels docked there to leave and find safer waters.
The islands aren’t seeing the same strong wind shear that helped swiftly break apart Hurricane Lane in 2018, forecasters said Saturday.
State transportation officials said Friday that they were bracing for impacts to Hawaii Belt Road in Hamakua on the Big island, Hana Highway on Maui and Kamehameha Highway on Oahu’s Windward side.
Not Your Usual Hurricane Supply Kit
On Sunday, state health officials announced 64 new COVID-19 cases, after having announced 73 new COVID-19 cases statewide Saturday. The island state is seeing its largest number of new cases since the pandemic began.
As shelters across Oahu opened up Sunday morning, people began lining up outside the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu seeking a safe place to weather Hurricane Douglas. Forecasters warn of damaging wind, heavy rainfall and dangerously high surf.
Ronen Zilberman/Civil Beat
On Saturday, Hawaii broke its single-day record for cases for a third consecutive day. There are concerns over the ability of the disease to spread further if large numbers of residents must pack into emergency shelters.
During back-to-back media briefings Friday, Gov. David Ige and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell urged local residents to replenish their 14-day hurricane kits not only with the usual food, water, medicine and the other supplies — but also multiple face masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to help guard against COVID-19.
Emergency officials on Oahu will open 13 emergency shelters 9 a.m. Sunday. The list includes the Hawaii Convention Center, which Caldwell said could accommodate around 1,600 evacuees even if they hope not to see those numbers.
Caldwell said Friday that the island might open as many as 25 such shelters. Having the convention center reduced the amount of sites they needed, he said on Saturday.
Evacuees will have to bring their own food and supplies.
Here’s a comprehensive list of what to include, in addition to masks and sanitizer. Officials on Saturday encouraged the public to spend the rest of the day preparing.
Douglas remains a Category 1 hurricane as it churns by the state.
Courtesy: NWS
The local Red Cross, meanwhile, put out the call for more healthy, adult volunteers to help manage expanded emergency shelter space.
“We know that the shelters, with the social distancing, are just not going to be able to handle the numbers that they normally would,” Regional Red Cross CEO Diane Peters-Nguyen said Friday.
Those interested should call 739-8122 or visit redcross.org/hawaii.
Such emergency shelters are considered a last resort if sheltering in place doesn’t work and there’s no other place to go. Anyone who arrives at those emergency shelters will be temperature screened, officials said Friday.
In non-pandemic times, Honolulu officials allow for about 10 square feet per evacuee in an emergency shelter. During a pandemic, they’ve estimated they’ll need about 10 times that amount so the evacuees can stay socially distant.
Honolulu Director of Emergency Management Hiro Toya called it a “huge challenge” in May.
City and state officials have been trying to negotiate a deal with hotels to use some of the many rooms left vacant by the pandemic. On Friday, as Douglas neared, they said they’re still working on it but no such deal has been reached.
The storm will also allow new arrivals to the islands to break the 14-day quarantine “as a last resort” to go pick up hurricane supplies if they can’t get those delivered, Ige said.
He stressed, however, that those arrivals should make arrangements to have the supplies delivered to their quarantine site.
Some updates on Oahu’s city services include:
- Trash-collection operations will shut down Monday but crews plan to make up those trash collections on Tuesday.
- All 16 city campgrounds are closed through Wednesday — any permits to use them during that time have been suspended and users will get information on how to get a refund, parks officials said.
- Bus and Handi-Van service will end 12 p.m. Sunday.
This story will be updated as conditions change.
Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed.
"close" - Google News
July 26, 2020 at 05:36AM
https://ift.tt/2OX9b49
Douglas Churning 'Dangerously Close' To The Hawaiian Islands - Honolulu Civil Beat
"close" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2QTYm3D
https://ift.tt/3d2SYUY
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Douglas Churning 'Dangerously Close' To The Hawaiian Islands - Honolulu Civil Beat"
Post a Comment