Forecasters say winds have died down but rain remains a threat on some Hawaiian Islands as tropical storm Lane churns in the central Pacific. (Aug. 25) AP
As once-fierce Hurricane Lane tracked out to sea from Hawaii, tropical moisture hung in the air Sunday, fueling fears of flash flooding from a new round of downpours in the coming days.
The powerhouse storm, the first to threaten a hit on the islands in 26 years, unleashed more than 46 inches of rain in some areas. The Big Island took a pounding; Hilo saw more than two feet of precipitation. Firefighters rescued 39 people from floodwaters over the weekend.
Intermittent deluges through Tuesday could spark more mudslides, more bridges and roads could be damaged, and new evacuation orders are possible, forecasters said.
Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, warned residents to be vigilant even as the storm was exiting. "Rain is still a threat," he tweeted Saturday.
Even though #Lane has weakened, rain is still a threat.
Never walk, swim or drive through flood waters, and stay off the roads unless
absolutely necessary to allow emergency workers to help others.
Lane, which had been downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday, dumped the fourth-highest amount of rain for a hurricane to hit the U.S. since 1950, preliminary figures from the National Weather Service show. Hurricane Harvey, which pummeled Texas a year ago, topped the list.
Kai Kahele, a state senator who represents Hilo, didn't mince words. The rainfall "was almost biblical proportions,” he said.
The storm's toll could be staggering. Lane has the potential to be the single-costliest hurricane in the recorded history of Hawaii and could tally the most expensive hurricane damage for the 2018 hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30, AccuWeather President Joel Myers said.
Even with more issues looming, many residents breathed a sigh of relief.
On the island of Oahu, shopkeepers ripped out plywood; the Honolulu Zoo and municipal golf courses said they were back in business. Tourists again dotted the white, sandy shores of Waikiki Beach; lifeguards took to towers; surfers raced to ride the last of the storm's remnants.
Winds were also calmer on Maui, which had been battered by gusts up to 50 mph.
Lane barreled close to the islands earlier this week as a Category 5 hurricane, one capable of causing catastrophic damage with winds of 157 mph or more. But upper-level winds called shear ripped the storm apart.
Still, its repercussions were felt. As the Big Island battled floods, winds whipped up brush fires in dry areas of Maui and Oahu. Flames burned nine homes in the coastal town of Lahaina and forced 600 people to evacuate, Maui County spokeswoman Lynn Araki-Regan said. Many residents have yet to return because much of the area lacks power, she said.
Even if renewed flooding doesn't materialize, heavy rains could hamper cleanup and recovery, AccuWeather warned.
"It will also be more humid by Hawaii standards across the islands early this week, which will put a strain on crews and those without electricity," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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