Hawaii braces for Tropical Storm Moke as recovery from Hurricane Lala continues
State authorities are mobilising resources for Tropical Storm Moke, which is forecast to bring significant rainfall to the Big Island just one week after Hurricane Lala caused widespread infrastructure damage and one death.
Tropical Storm Moke is advancing towards Hawaii, bringing heavy rain and strong winds only a week after the islands were struck by Hurricane Lala. As of 11am Hawaii Standard Time on Saturday, the storm was located approximately 684 kilometres south of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 19km/h. The National Hurricane Center reported that Moke’s maximum sustained winds were about 85km/h, with the system expected to pass south of Hawaii Island overnight into the following morning.
Governor Josh Green urged residents to prepare essentials, noting that the island is still recovering from the infrastructure damage and flooding caused by Lala. In a video statement, Green acknowledged that the recent storm had already hit the region hard, stating, “It could certainly have a big impact because we’ve already been hit hard.” He confirmed that state officials were pre-positioning additional equipment and personnel to manage the incoming weather system.
To address potential safety concerns, Governor Green authorised 100 hotel rooms for residents who lack adequate services or protection. While power has been restored to most of Hawaii Island following Lala, some remote areas are still experiencing outages. Authorities expect power to be fully restored across the island by September 8.
The National Hurricane Center projects that Moke will bring 130mm to 250mm of rainfall to the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island over the next two days, with isolated areas potentially receiving up to 380mm. Eastern Maui is likely to receive 76mm to 150mm of rainfall, with smaller amounts of precipitation expected across the rest of the island chain.
Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the Honolulu office of the US National Weather Service, indicated that while impacts will continue through early Tuesday, they are likely to be more limited than those experienced during Lala. The previous storm, a Category 1 hurricane, dumped more than 1,000mm of rain in some locations, causing rivers to burst their banks and forcing nearly 130,000 utility customers to lose power.
Governor Green warned that the heavy rain is unlikely to end with Moke, as another storm front is expected to arrive approximately one week later. “Everyone be very careful,” Green said, adding that the state continues to see the impacts of these major weather fronts that have hit Hawaii.
