Hawaii braces for hurricane

Hawaii residents emptied store shelves Wednesday, claimed the last sheets of plywood to board up windows and drained gas pumps as Hurricane Lane churned toward the state.

The category 4 storm could slam into the islands today with winds exceeding 100 mph (161 kph), making it the most powerful storm to hit Hawaii since Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

Unlike Florida or Texas, where residents can get in their cars and drive hundreds of miles to safety, people in Hawaii are confined to the islands and can’t outrun the powerful winds and driving rain.

Instead, they must stay put and make sure they have enough supplies to outlast prolonged power outages and other potential emergencies.

“Everyone is starting to buckle down at this point,” said Christyl Nagao of Kauai. “Our families are here. We have businesses and this and that. You just have to man your fort and hold on tight.”

Living in an isolated island state also means the possibility that essential goods can’t be shipped to Hawaii if the storm shuts down ports.

“You’re stuck here and resources might not get here in time,” Nagao said.

The National Weather Service said Lane is expected to make a gradual turn toward the northwest Wednesday, followed by a more northward motion into the islands today.

“The centre of Lane will move very close to or over the main Hawaiian Islands from Thursday through Saturday,” the weather service said.

The Big Island was already starting to see Lane’s first effects Wednesday, Gov. David Ige said at a news conference.

The hurricane’s outer rain bands were bringing showers to some parts of the island, said Matt Foster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The eastern side of the island picked up nearly three inches (7.62 centimetres) of rain in three hours, while there was light rain in other areas, Foster said.

“Heavy rain in Hilo right now,” Hawaii County Managing Director Wil Okabe said of the east side town. But on the west side, “nothing. It’s a nice day.”

Public schools were closed for the rest of the week and local government workers were told to stay home unless they’re essential employees.