Flash floods and landslides hit Hawaii today as a slow-approaching Hurricane Lane unleashed a torrent of rain and 125mph winds. The hurricane was downgraded to a category three storm as it approached land, but officials warned of “life-threatening” conditions and urged people not to travel after a foot of rain fell in 24 hours.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said: “Lane, while it’s been downgraded, is wide and very moist and it’s going to hang around for a while, because it’s moving slowly. That’s why we’re taking so much precaution here.” President Donald Trump had earlier declared a state of emergency amid warnings the storm could be the most powerful to hit Hawaii in more than 25 years.
Nobody was reported injured this morning but roads were shut after flash floods and landslides hit the islands. The eye of the storm was expected to pass west of Hawaii’s Big Island today before glancing Maui and other islands on its way to Oahu.
With Lane still churning in the Pacific Ocean some 200 miles (322 km) south-southeast of Kailua-Kona, more than a foot (30 cm) of rain has already fallen on the eastern side of the Big Island, officials said. The National Weather Service warned that some areas could see up to 30 inches (76 centimetres) before the system passes.
Two campers were reported trapped overnight in Waipio Valley, along the Big Island's northern coast. The campers called authorities Wednesday, but emergency crews could not mount a rescue operation. “We can't go in because the roads - there's a river of water down there,” said Hawaii County Managing Director Wil Okabe.
