Tropical Storm Nolo expected to bring heavy rain and flooding to Hawaii
Meteorologists warn that the developing Tropical Storm Nolo could produce up to a foot of rain, causing severe flooding and mudslides on Hawaii's eastern islands as it approaches the Big Island later this week.
A low-pressure system forming south of the Hawaiian Islands is expected to become Tropical Storm Nolo on Sept. 23 and could bring heavy rain and flooding to the eastern islands, which are still recovering from Hurricane Lala. At 5 a.m. Hawaii time, the system was located about 320 miles south-southeast of South Point and had sustained winds of 35 mph.
Forecasters predict the storm will turn sharply northward on Sept. 24, moving near the Big Island on Friday as a hurricane with sustained winds near 110 mph, just below Category 3 strength. Heavy rain is forecast to begin on Wednesday and continue through Saturday, with rainfall totals of more than a foot possible in steep terrain, raising the risk of flash flooding and mudslides.
"Life-threatening, catastrophic flooding and mudslides are possible from rainfall totals in excess of a foot, especially in areas of steep terrain," the National Hurricane Center warned.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu noted that the southeast side of the Big Island remains vulnerable because of ongoing recovery from Lala’s impacts. A flood watch is in effect for the Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe from noon on Sept. 23 through the afternoon of Sept. 26.
AccuWeather predicts three-day rainfall amounts of 24 to 36 inches at higher elevations on the Big Island, and experts say the storm’s rain rate could be more consequential than the total accumulation.
"People should not focus solely on what category this storm becomes. The greatest danger could be the amount of rain it unloads and how long that rain continues," AccuWeather meteorologist Nicholas Arman said.
The approaching conditions have led organizers to cancel the annual Na Wahine O Ke Kai women’s canoe race scheduled for Sept. 27, citing expected rough offshore seas. The cancellation follows previous cancellations in 1980 and 2015 due to extreme weather.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, Hurricane Polo, a Category 5 system that recently weakened, continues to move northward near Mexico’s southern coast, while Hurricane Odalys remains far offshore and poses no land threat. The Atlantic basin remains free of hurricanes this season.