Big Island communities face renewed flooding and mudslide risk as Tropical Storm Moke moves south of Hawaii only days after Hurricane Lala. Forecasters expect heavy rain and strong winds beginning Saturday evening, with the system passing just south of the islands late Saturday into Sunday before continuing westward near the chain through early Tuesday, according to Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
Oswant said impacts will concentrate on the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island. “There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and south-east sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala,” she said. She outlined weekend rainfall guidance that puts much of the island’s windward and southeast slopes in the 5 to 10 inch range, with isolated totals reaching 15 inches. Other islands should expect lighter totals, generally 1 to 2 inches, though parts of east Maui could receive as much as 4 inches.
The National Weather Service warned that sections already drenched by Lala face the greatest mudslide and flood threats. Officials held a news conference urging residents to prepare, restock food, medicine and other essentials. In a Saturday video, Hawaii governor Josh Green said at least $43m in infrastructure damage and $4.6m in damage to homes resulted from Lala. “There’s going to be a lot more to account for and we will be there to provide recovery and resources, but it’s going to take some time,” he said.
There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect early Saturday morning, but state and federal agencies advised close monitoring of the storm’s progress. The National Hurricane Center warned rainfall could spark dangerous rip currents, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly on steep terrain and where soils remain saturated. Residents and emergency managers should prepare for several days of impacts as Moke tracks westward near the islands through early Tuesday.
