A weakened Iselle shuts down Hawaii
Tropical Storm Iselle buffeted Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui early Friday, bringing heavy rain, strong wind, downed trees and power outages and sending many tourists home as the state braced for a second storm Sunday that is expected to veer north and spare the islands the brunt of its power.
Although Iselle was weaker than expected, it virtually shut down the state for a day as residents and hotel operators heeded warnings and prepared for the worst.
There were several road and highway closures and reports of damage to buildings from fallen trees and strong wind, according to the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency. Hawaii Electric Light asked residents to conserve power after numerous reports of downed power lines.
Iselle, which weakened from a Category 4 hurricane since Monday, moved over Maui on Friday afternoon, and Oahu was under a flood advisory after local officials reported rainfall of 2 inches per hour on the island.
“Seems like everyone listened and hunkered down and we’ve been able to withstand the main effects of the storm,” Lt. Col. Charles Anthony of the Hawaii National Guard said.
The storm was weakening because of several factors, including wind shear chopping at the system and the Big Island’s terrain above the water, the National Weather Service said.
Hurricane Julio, which has been traveling close behind Iselle, was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, sustaining maximum winds of 105 mph. Although Julio was expected to miss a direct hit on the Big Island, heavy rain and strong wind were predicted Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.