Former hurricane approaches islands

HONOLULU >> Hawaii officials on Monday urged residents and visitors to be prepared as a strong tropical storm approached the island state.

Olivia was 415 miles east of Hilo and moving west at 9 mph at 2 p.m. local time. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph shortly after being downgraded from a hurricane.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell cautioned against complacency, noting tropical storms have led to flooding in Honolulu in recent years.

“We don’t know what it’s going to look like as Olivia approaches the Hawaiian Islands. So please, folks, don’t let your guard down,” Caldwell said.

He said crews were working hard to clear debris from streams so they wouldn’t block expected increased water flows.

Forecasters say Olivia may drop 10 to 15 inches of rain on the Big Island and Maui County, though some areas could get 20 inches.

Wil Okabe, Hawaii County managing director, said work crews were being sent to neighborhoods and parts of highways that flooded and suffered landslides during Hurricane Lane last month.

“By having people around to monitor the situation, to look for the signs, we can respond much quicker,” Okabe said. The county is also preparing to open shelters.

Lane dumped more than 52 inches of rain on the Big Island, marking the nation’s second-highest rainfall total for a tropical cyclone since 1950. Nearly 40 people had to be rescued from floodwaters, while about 200 people reported damage to their homes on the Big Island because of Lane.