ABC News
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Beachgoers
on the Big Island of Hawaii will have one final day at the water's edge
today as the first of two hurricanes headed for the state are expected
to make landfall tonight.
Pair of Hurricanes Will Chase Tourists Off Hawaii Beaches
Aug 7, 2014, 11:12 AM ET
By COLLEEN CURRY
Reporter
Beachgoers on the Big Island of Hawaii will have one final day at the
water's edge today as the first of two hurricanes headed for the state
are expected to make landfall tonight.
Hurricane Iselle will bring winds of up 65 mph and surf as high as 20
feet when it hits the Big Island sometime around 8 p.m. tonight. Beaches
around the island have been flagged as "high hazard" areas by state
authorities.
"Everybody says this is the last day of good weather, so we came down to
the beach," tourist Shonna Snodgrass, visiting from Stafford, Virginia,
told the Associated Press.
The storm will move toward Oahu and Maui early Friday morning, drenching
the most popular tourist destinations in the state with up to 8 inches
of rain, with the potential for coastal flooding and wind damage.
Washington state couple Tracy Black and Chris Kreifels are planning to marry in an outdoor ceremony on Saturday, according to the AP.
"We see the rain as a blessing," Black said. "It will work out as it's supposed to."
On the heels of Iselle, a category 1 storm, is Hurricane Julio. Julio is
expected to edge close to the islands Sunday night and Monday and is
currently a Category 2 storm with winds of up to 100 mph.
Airlines including Delta, United, Alaskan and Hawaiian Air have all
announced that passengers with reservations can rebook their travel
plans free of charge to avoid the hurricane.
Hawaii has not been directly hit by a hurricane in 22 years, and only
three times since 1950, though it has endured nearly 150 tropical
cyclones in that time, according to the AP. Six people were killed and
more than 1,000 homes damaged during the 1992 hurricane.
The Big Island has been hit by one named tropical storm, and never a hurricane, according to ABC News meteorologists.
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