As of 11 p.m. Sunday (5 a.m. Monday ET), the Tropical Storm Flossie was about 200 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, moving west at about 17 mph, according to the Pacific Hurricane Center. Weakened, still Hawaii is bracing for heavy rains and strong winds from Flossie. National Weather Service officials said they expect people on the Big Island and Maui to see the impact of the storm on Monday morning, with wind gusts up to 60 mph, possible flooding and waves up to 18 feet high.
Flossie could also bring mudslides, tornadoes and waterspouts, the forecasters said.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed an emergency proclamation on Sunday, evacuation shelters are open and some government offices and schools were planning to remain closed Monday, according to CNN affiliate KFVE. The proclamation also allows the state to call Hawaii National Guard members to duty, if necessary.
"For the folks on the Big Island and Maui, if you're preparing your home, you should be rushing those preparations to completion," said Michael Cantin, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
"By the time you get up in the morning, the storm's going to already be there and you won't have any time," he said.
The service on Sunday issued a tropical storm warning for Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island with the city of Honolulu. The warning means the storm represents a threat to life and property.
With widespread rainfall of up to 10 inches, and pockets of 15 inches on the big island of Hawaii and Maui, and 12 inches over Oahu, emergency officials had evacuated low-lying backcountry areas over the weekend.
It's not immediately clear which island faces the most danger, though the Big Island - the easternmost island in the archipelago - is likely the first in Flossie's path. Flossie's center was expected to pass near the Big Island and Maui on Monday morning and then south of Oahu several hours later on Monday evening into Tuesday morning.
© 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
