Janice R. Andrews
Hurricane Hone is slowly moving away from Hawaii’s Big Island.
Hurricane Hone is slowly moving away from Hawaii’s Big Island, but other parts of the state are still at risk of tropical storm conditions. With steady winds of up to 80 mph, the storm is still a big weather event. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) came out at 11 a.m. HT (5 p.m. ET) on Sunday. It said that Hurricane Hone’s (pronounced hoe-NEH) center is moving westward.
The most recent report says that Hurricane Hone is about 100 miles southwest of Kailua-Kona, a town on the west coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. Also, the storm is about 175 miles southwest of Hawaii’s main city, Honolulu. The storm is expected to keep moving westward, and its effects will be felt all over the state, especially in the form of strong winds, heavy rain, and rough seas.
There are emergency shelters and a state of emergency has been declared.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced a state of emergency on Saturday because of the storm that was coming. This statement lets the governor call up the National Guard and use state disaster funds to help with emergency action. Emergency centers have been set up in a number of places across the state, including high schools, to help residents and guests who may need to stay safe.
Where Hurricane Hone Is Now and Where It’s Going
Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, Hurricane Hone is moving west-northwest at a speed of about 12 mph. Over the next few days, things are likely to stay the same. At around 10 a.m. ET, the storm was only about 45 miles south of South Point, which is the southernmost point of Hawaii’s Big Island in its closest spot. The NHC is still keeping an eye on the storm and has released the following important information:
- **Place: ** It is about 175 miles southwest of Honolulu and 100 miles southwest of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
- Highest sustained winds of 80 mph.
- Movement: 12 mph west-northwest, and this is likely to continue for a few days.
Warnings and watches are in effect
Hawaii County is still under a state of emergency, and there are hurricane warnings, tropical storm warnings, high wind watches, and flash flood warnings in place. The Honolulu office of the National Weather Service stressed that the danger was still there, especially since the Big Island has already been affected by high winds and heavy rain.
At Kohala Ranch, wind gusts of up to 73 mph have been recorded, and some places have seen over 18 inches of rain, which has caused major power blackouts. AccuWeather says that these outages have damaged more than 21,000 homes and businesses. From Sunday night to Monday morning, the NHC says that southeast-facing hills of the Big Island will get an extra 3 to 5 inches of rain. Smaller Hawaiian islands that are exposed to wind could get 1 to 3 inches of rain during the same time period.
Notes on Cancellations and Closures
Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth has told people to be careful, especially because the waves on the Big Island’s eastern shores are expected to be dangerous. A number of important roads and services have been harmed:
Waipi‘o Valley Access Road is now closed.
- Camping overnight is no longer allowed at Whittington and Punalu’u Beach Parks.
- Heele-On bus service is not running this weekend.
- Facility for emergencies It was opened from Ka‘ū to Hāmākua, with stops at the Honoka’a High School cafeteria, the Waiakea High School gym, and the Kea’au High School library.
People who live in or visit Hawaii County should check the Hazard Impact Map for the most up-to-date information on closed roads, canceled events, and emergency centers that are open.
As Hurricane Gilma hits the Pacific, it’s another storm.
Hawaii is still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Hone, and Hurricane Gilma is waiting in the Pacific. Gilma was moving west-northwest at 12 mph as of 5 p.m. ET Sunday (11 a.m. HT). The storm is currently about 1,365 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, and has winds that can reach 115 mph.
The NHC says that storm Gilma will likely stay a Category 3 storm until early Tuesday morning. After that, it will probably get weaker. There are, however, no coastal watches, warnings, or land dangers in place for this storm right now.
Hawaii residents should stay alert and up to date as both storms continue to move across the Pacific.
