Hurricane Nolo passes south of Hawaii as heavy rain and winds threaten islands, while Hurricane Polo approaches Mexico's Baja Peninsula

Hurricane Nolo moved slowly south of the Big Island on Saturday, strengthening to sustained winds of 90 mph. Although a hurricane watch was lifted and a direct landfall was not expected, forecasters warned that the storm’s outer bands could produce flash floods, mudslides and surf hazards, with rain totals of up to 20 inches projected for parts of the island.

"Don’t venture out if you don’t have to into the dangerous flooding environment, but also high winds. We can have trees and power lines down," said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center. Heavy rain forced partial closures of a main highway linking Kailua-Kona and Hilo, and National Guard personnel assisted residents in flooded areas. More than 120 Guard members were activated on the Big Island, part of a statewide deployment after the governor declared an emergency. Humanitarian groups, including CORE, air-lifted supplies such as camp stoves and hygiene kits from Oahu to support communities still recovering from Hurricane Lala earlier this year. Local residents expressed concern about the storm’s slow movement and the potential for wind damage, noting that while heavy rain is common, strong winds are less frequent. In Maui, a brush fire near Olowalu prompted mandatory evacuations and highway closures, and a high-wind warning was issued for parts of the island, with gusts expected to exceed 60 mph. The Pacific hurricane season remains above average, a pattern linked to El Niño conditions, according to National Weather Service forecaster Bob Oravec. Meanwhile, Hurricane Polo, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, tracked toward Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. The storm is expected to weaken before landfall, but residents of the fishing town San Juanico voiced concerns about limited infrastructure and the need to rely on local resources. Community members plan to convert the elementary school into a shelter and are awaiting assistance for road clearance and power generation. The situation underscores the broader challenges faced by coastal communities as multiple tropical systems develop in the Pacific.