Hurricane Douglas nears as state, county shutter parks, facilities
Officials say residents are ‘resilient,’ even with the pandemic
The state and county shuttered inland and beach parks, along with other facilities, ahead of the possible arrival of Hurricane Douglas, still a Category 3 system Friday night that is anticipated to begin impacting Maui County tonight.
Meanwhile, state leaders expressed confidence Friday that residents can handle the stress of a major storm as well as the health and economic strain of a pandemic.
“We have a real sense of resiliency here in the state,” said Luke Meyers, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency administrator, during a news conference Friday afternoon. “We’ve been through a number of hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, floods, windstorms, you name it.”
Gov. David Ige said that while there may be some fatigue in the community over the worries of a hurricane during COVID-19, he
said the public is getting prepared and responding well.
“We have seen many hurricanes come through our community, and we’ve always responded in a responsible way,” he said. “We do note that there may be some fatigue in the community, but in the past . . . everyone’s attention does turn to the storm and appropriate action is taken.”
The concerns for Douglas, though, are many. The hurricane is packing the triple threat of surf, wind and rain. Also, COVID-19 physical distancing rules will decrease capacity at shelters.
Another Douglas worry is wildfire, which charred slopes of the West Maui Mountains, threatened Lahaina town and burned more than 20 homes as Hurricane Lane passed by in 2018.
“Yes, it is a concern and something to stay on top of,” said John Bravender, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service. “After a wildfire, there is more potential for flash flooding or mudslides, debris flows and damage from that afterward as well. The fire is a threat and then flash flooding after the fact are concerns you may see with a system like this.”
Pointing to weather tracking, Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino said East Maui may be among the more vulnerable communities in the state, with risks of being disconnected from the rest of the island due to flooding, high winds, strong surf, heavy rain and other possible impacts.
Victorino issued an emergency proclamation Friday that gives the County of Maui the ability to take necessary, quick action to respond to emergency situations, according to a news release.
The state announced Friday evening that its parks that were reopened after the pandemic will be closed beginning today until an all-clear has been given and storm damage assessments have been conducted.
All county facilities, including beach and inland parks, along with swimming pools and the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course, will be closed starting today, county officials said Friday.
Victorino said shelters will be opening beginning this evening or earlier if necessary. Each of the seven main shelters countywide will be holding one-sixth of its pre-COVID-19 totals to maintain social distancing, but county officials assured that there will be enough space with additional facilities ready to open.
Those seeking shelter will be temperature-checked and have to fill out a health questionnaire. Those suspected of having COVID-19 will shelter in a separate part of the facility, away from the rest of the people.
Hawaiian Airlines on Friday night said it is canceling select interisland flights this evening and all interisland flights Sunday.
The Department of Water Supply on Friday advised all customers to conserve water in preparation for the arrival of Douglas. The adverse weather could disrupt electrical power to pumps and motors that keep water flowing through the county’s domestic water system.
Residents should store drinking water now for use during the storm in the event water service is shut off. In general, consumers should ensure a safe supply of water for emergency use by storing at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for 14 days, and some water on hand for pets.
All irrigation systems and other nonessential uses of water should be discontinued until further notice.
Maui County, the Big Island and Oahu were under hurricane watch as of Friday evening. A watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within 36 to 48 hours.
At 8 p.m. Friday, Hurricane Douglas was 710 miles east southeast of Kahului and 680 miles east southeast of Hana, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center reported. Douglas was still a Category 3 hurricane, moving west-northwest at 20 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles, the hurricane center said.
“Gradual weakening is expected to continue through the weekend. However, Douglas is still forecast to be near hurricane strength when it nears the islands,” forecasters said.
National Weather Service advisories as of Friday evening included:
≤ Flash flood watch this evening through Monday afternoon for Kahoolawe, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and the Big Island.
≤ High-surf warning for east-facing shores of Molokai, Maui and Kahoolawe from 6 a.m. today through 6 a.m. Monday. Waves of 15 to 25 feet are expected with surf anticipated to peak tonight and through Sunday.
On Friday afternoon, forecasters predicted tropical storm-force winds upon arrival of 39 to 73 mph, with a 59 percent probability for Hana, 58 percent for Kahului, 53 percent for Lanai City and 60 percent for Kaunakakai.