Rain, wind of Olivia closing in on Hawaii

HONOLULU — Tropical Storm Olivia began dropping light rain Tuesday on Maui and the Big Island as it approached the state and prompted warnings for residents to store drinking water and prepare for possible power failures.

The storm could dump as much as 20 inches of rain on some parts of the islands, said meteorologist Matthew Foster of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Gov. David Ige asked President Donald Trump on Tuesday to declare an emergency for the state.

Ige is seeking help from military aircraft to fly people between islands if that becomes necessary. He also asked for help with potential medical evacuations and emergency power generation.

Olivia was a couple hundred miles east of Maui and packing winds of 60 mph. Maui and Oahu counties appeared most likely to experience the worst impacts, Foster said.

Officials were worried about landslides in west Maui because brush fires during Hurricane Lane three weeks ago wiped out vegetation, Maui County spokesman Rod Antone said.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa urged residents to store drinking water and warned that they should plan for power failures, landslides, high surf, fallen trees and flooded roads.

Scott Zaffram, a senior response official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said emergency teams and supplies were ready on Maui.

The National Guard has mobilized personnel and trucks to the east side of Maui, said Herman Andaya, administrator of the county’s emergency management agency.