HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Hurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds persisted in areas still recovering from previous storms.
By early Sunday, Nolo was about 260 miles (415 kilometers) southwest of Hawaii’s southernmost point and was moving away from the Big Island at about 12 mph (19 kph). Still, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said a high wind warning, wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening as Nolo’s maximum sustained winds increased to near 105 mph (165 kph).
Nolo was expected to strengthen further and turn toward the northwest by Sunday night, though the National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center would remain well south and southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. The storm was expected to approach the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a national conservation area, early this week.
Forecasters said Nolo’s outer bands could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with parts of the Big Island possibly getting up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain. Heavy rain also was expected on the other islands.
“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 fell across the southern part of the Big Island on Saturday afternoon, prompting partial closures of one of the main highways linking Kailua-Kona in the west to Hilo in the east.
Near Naalehu, at the island’s southern point, National Guard members were seen guiding a man driving through flooded streets as he tried to leave his home during a downpour. More than 120 guard members were activated on the island, part of roughly 400 statewide after the governor issued an emergency proclamation.
Residents are still recovering from Hurricane Lala, which produced heavy rain and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island.
Hawaii prepares for northern edge of Nolo
Gregory Bull via Associated Press
About a dozen people were in the water Saturday morning at Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo on the Big Island, despite signs saying the strand was closed. Andrea Gill was out for her regular swim before heading back home to hunker down with family.
Shop owners boarded up businesses, and events were canceled. Gill said storms are common, but hurricanes are rare. She was holding out hope that the islands might not get the full impact.
“We’re used to lots of rain. We’re not used to wind. So it’s always a blessing when we don’t get the wind from the hurricane,” Gill said.
President Donald Trump recently approved an emergency declaration, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate assistance and provide funding support.
Hawaiian Electric, the state’s primary utility, said crews helping restore power in Kauai after this month’s Hurricane Lowell returned to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island in response to Nolo.
The Pacific has been unusually active this season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec, with storm activity running above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season. He said that pattern is consistent with El Niño years, when the Pacific often sees more tropical storms and hurricanes.
Powerful Polo on forecast path toward Mexico
Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Meanwhile, parts of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula awaited the arrival of major Hurricane Polo as it edged closer after lashing other parts of the country’s southwest coast with rain and strong winds.
Polo remained a dangerous Category 3 hurricane with top sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and was moving to the north-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph) about 285 miles (460 kilometers) west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula’s southern tip, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday afternoon.
Mexico’s National Meteorological Service, or SMN, said in a post on the social media platform X that Polo was expected to make a Baja landfall on Monday.
The Mexican navy said in a statement that it has gathered personnel and humanitarian aid in the ports of Guaymas and Mazatlan, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, and has deployed three vessels that could ship aid to coastal communities isolated by the hurricane.
One of the towns in the hurricane’s projected path is San Juanico, a small fishing community on Baja’s Pacific coast. The town has only had full-time electricity for a few years, and still experiences frequent outages. There is concern that washed-out roads could block access to the closest medical facility, about 80 minutes away in Ciudad Constitucion.
“Our people are concerned about this event,” said Gloriely Robles Meza, a manager at a small hotel. “We haven’t faced such a worrying situation in many years.”
Robles Meza said Sunday that the Mexican Army arrived in San Juanico to prepare a shelter and to provide support for possible emergencies. An electrical crew was also there to prepare for Polo’s arrival.
Also Sunday, Tropical Storm Rachel formed well off Mexico’s southwest coast, the Miami-based U.S. hurricane center said. It added that Rachel had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was located about 300 miles (485 kilometers) south of Acapulco, Mexico. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.