Hurricane Nolo aims 25 inches of rain at Hawaii's Big Island

Hurricane Nolo bore down on Hawaii's Big Island on Friday, with forecasters warning of catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding into the weekend. The National Hurricane Center said Nolo had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane, and a hurricane watch was in effect for Hawaii County. The storm could dump up to 3 feet of rain on the Big Island.cbsnews.com

The storm matters because it arrives just over a month after Hurricane Lala washed away about 100 homes, triggered landslides and caused widespread power outages as it brushed past Hawaii. Forecasters warn Nolo could bring catastrophic life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain. Authorities on the Big Island are telling residents to find a safe place to take shelter ahead of the storm's arrival.upi.com

What the storm threatens

As of 5 p.m. Friday EST, the eye of Hurricane Nolo was centered about 175 miles south of South Point, Hawaii, and 370 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, producing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and moving north-northeast at 5 miles per hour. On its predicted track, the center of Nolo will remain well south of the main Hawaiian Islands, forecasters said.

Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from Nolo's core, and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 140 miles. The Miami-based hurricane center said the storm was expected to keep strengthening and become a major hurricane over the weekend, defined as a Category 3 hurricane or stronger, and possibly intensify even more afterwards.

Eastern and southern portions of Hawaii's Big Island were in line for rainfall totals of 10 to 15 inches with maximum amounts of 25 inches, the National Hurricane Center predicted Friday afternoon. For the western portions of the Big Island, rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches with maximum amounts of 8 inches were expected, the centre said.

Where the storm sits now

For Maui, rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches were expected. Across the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands, rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 5 inches were expected, with isolated flooding possible. The Big Island could see tropical storm conditions as early as Friday night, with hurricane conditions possible early Saturday, especially in areas with steep terrain.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Hawaii County in addition to the hurricane watch there, and a tropical storm watch was in effect for Maui County, where tropical storm conditions were possible beginning on Saturday. Large and damaging waves were likely along portions of the Big Island's coastline into the weekend, and officials cautioned that a dangerous storm surge combined with the tide would flood normally dry coastal areas.

The National Hurricane Center said the time to finish preparations for significant heavy rain and flooding impacts on the Big Island was now, as heavy rain increased in both coverage and intensity late Friday. All state parks on the Big Island and on Maui will be closed because of the storm, the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

Warnings and closures in place

Nolo formed as another storm, Hurricane Polo, continued to swirl in the Pacific off Mexico's southwestern coast. The storms add to an unusually active season in the Pacific: earlier this month, Hurricane Lowell brought damaging winds and heavy rain to the western Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Niihau, bringing down trees, damaging roads and knocking out power for thousands.