Hawaii Braces for Heavy Rain from Tropical Storm Moke

Tropical Storm Moke passed near Hawaii on Sunday, bringing heavy rainfall to the Big Island shortly after the impact of Hurricane Lala. Around midday, the National Hurricane Center pinpointed Moke’s center approximately 320 miles (515 kilometers) south-southwest of Hilo. With sustained winds of about 40 mph (65 kph), the major concern was the anticipated rain, affecting areas previously impacted by the hurricane. This included communities facing floods, mudslides, and damaged roads and power lines. Unfortunately, there have been two fatalities related to the hurricane in Hawaii.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda advised residents through a social media post to stay indoors and avoid traveling as a precautionary measure. He indicated that shelters were open at several county locations for those in need. Forecasts suggested Moke could deliver up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain across the Big Island, reaching up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) in some isolated locations. This rainfall poses risks of severe flooding and mudslides, especially on the windward and southeast slopes, steep terrains, and areas previously affected by Lala. Although the storm’s center was expected to pass south of the Big Island and further south of Hawaii’s smaller main islands, significant rainfall was anticipated.

Eastern Maui was expected to receive up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain, while other islands might see between 1 and 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters), based on forecast predictions. A vehicle operating under these conditions was seen navigating past an uprooted tree along the Hawaii Belt Road near Pahala, Hawaii, the day after Hurricane Lala struck.

As seen with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island was projected to endure the significant impact of Moke’s rain and winds as the storm progressed westward south of the island chain. Meanwhile, Hurricane Lala had downgraded to a strong tropical storm by Sunday, positioned far out in the Central Pacific. Lala brought a total of 43.54 inches (1.1 meters) of rain to the northeast Big Island coast, the heaviest recorded rainfall caused by the hurricane.

As Moke approached, Hawaii Governor Josh Green encouraged residents to prepare by replenishing supplies of food, medicine, and other essentials. Despite ongoing recovery efforts, more than 6,500 customers were still without electricity on Sunday due to Lala’s impact, according to poweroutage.us.

In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Iselle developed on Sunday, strengthening some distance from Mexico’s southwest coast. Iselle experienced top sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) on Sunday afternoon and was located around 535 miles (860 kilometers) southwest of Mexico’s Baja California’s southern tip. The storm moved northwest at 16 mph (26 kph) without prompting any coastal watches or warnings. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami projected that Iselle could strengthen into a hurricane within a couple of days, potentially generating strong ocean swells along Baja’s western coast starting Monday.