Hawaii's Big Island faced a second major storm in two weeks as Tropical Storm Moke ground toward the island Saturday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to a region still recovering from Hurricane Lala.
As of 11 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time, Moke was located about 684 kilometers, or 425 miles, south of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 19 kilometers per hour. The National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds of about 85 kilometers per hour, or 50 miles per hour.
Al Jazeera reported that the storm is forecast to pass south of Hawaii Island overnight and into Sunday morning, sparing the island a direct hit. But forecasters and state officials warned that impacts would still be significant, particularly for communities on the windward and southeast sides of the island.
"There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala," said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the Honolulu office of the U.S. National Weather Service.
Lala hit the island last weekend as a Category 1 hurricane. It dumped more than 1,000 millimeters of rain, equivalent to 39 inches, in some locations. Rivers burst their banks, high winds downed electrical lines, and nearly 130,000 utility customers lost power. At least one person died.
The National Hurricane Center projected Moke would bring roughly 130 to 250 millimeters of rain, or 5 to 10 inches, over two days to the most exposed parts of the Big Island. Some isolated areas could see higher totals.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green urged residents to restock food, medicine, and other essentials before the storm passed. He also authorized 100 hotel rooms for people who needed shelter.
"It could certainly have a big impact because we've already been hit hard," Green said in a video statement. "We're pre-positioning all kinds of additional equipment and people. I've also authorised 100 rooms, hotel rooms, for people to go to, in case they don't have enough services or protection, safety."
Green said power had been restored to most of Hawaii Island after Lala, but some remote areas were still without electricity. Full restoration is expected by September 8.
After passing Hawaii Island, Moke is projected to continue on a westward path near the islands through early Tuesday, according to National Weather Service forecasters.
