Just when residents of Hawaii thought they could heave a sigh of relief as Kilauea volcano simmers down, the state is bracing up for Hurricane Lane, which is barrelling towards the islands as a Category 4 storm. The hurricane is expected to hit the islands on Thursday, August 23, with sustained winds of about 250 kilometres per hour.
Hurricane Lane had earlier strengthened to a Category 5 storm but later weakened a little. However, the National Weather Service's Central Pacific Hurricane Centre said that the storm is still likely to cause a lot of destruction. Hawaii's Big Island and the island of Maui are said to be in an extremely vulnerable position and authorities have warned of flash flooding and mudslides.
"Some weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, but Lane is forecast to remain a dangerous hurricane as it draws closer to the Hawaiian Islands," Fox News quoted the CPHC as saying. The centre also added that the hurricane could pound the state until Saturday, August 25.
"Life-threatening impacts are likely in some areas as the hurricane makes its closest approach," it added.
Since the alert was sounded, residents have been getting ready to hunker down in their homes and have been stocking up on all kinds of essentials. Unlike other states in the US, people in Hawaii are confined to the islands and have to stay put at their homes. Authorities have also advised the residents to buy all the essentials like food, water, and medicines, among things and stay indoors until the storm passes.
People in the area were seen nailing ply boards to their windows and fuelling up their vehicles in case of an emergency. The winds and heavy rains often uproot trees and bring down electric poles causing power outages, due to which residents have been asked to keep batteries ready.
"Everyone is starting to buckle down at this point," Christyl Nagao, a resident of Kaua told the Associated Press. "Our families are here. We have businesses and this and that. You just have to man your fort and hold on tight. You're stuck here and resources might not get here in time."
Meanwhile, several areas have already started receiving heavy rains and Big Island is said to have received three inches of rain in just three hours. In tune, schools and offices have been shut down for the rest of the week and employees have been asked to stay home unless they are a part of the relief teams.
Authorities have also started readying shelters in Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Lanai and said that more shelters would be set up as and when necessary. While people living near beaches have been asked to vacate their homes and move to these shelters, residents of areas that are unlikely to flood have been asked to stay homes.
In a news conference, Hawaii State Emergency Management Administrator Tom Travis said that the state doesn't have a capacity for too many shelters and that authorities are trying everything they can to help people.
"The sheltering policy should be – if you're not in a flood zone, most citizens should remain in their homes," Travis said. "If in a flood zone, actively seek shelter elsewhere with someone not in a flood zone or public shelter."
