Facing another storm, Kau families prepare as Hurricane Nolo looms

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A month after Hurricane Lala’s devastation, southern Hawaii Island communities are bracing for Hurricane Nolo.

Read more Hurricane Nolo set to rapidly intensify as it nears Hawaii Island

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said Nolo had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour and was centered about 270 miles from South Point, or 450 miles south-southeast of Honolulu.

Forecasters project widespread rainfall of 15 to 25 inches, with localized amounts climbing up to 35 inches. With ground still saturated and infrastructure fragile from previous storms, officials stress that even a fraction of that total could trigger severe flash flooding and mudslides.

State and county offices and public schools were closed Thursday to give residents time to prepare before torrential rain and damaging winds arrive.

In Kaʻū, officials and emergency crews with the American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at Nāʻālehu Elementary School. Hawaii County is also providing free shuttle buses from Nāʻālehu to another shelter at the Robert N. Herkes Gymnasium in Pāhala, urging residents to relocate before low-lying roads become impassable.

“Kawa Flats is an area where flooding usually occurs,” Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said from the Emergency Operations Center. “That’s why we’re encouraging them to not wait to evacuate. Especially if you’re in a flood-prone area, you want to evacuate prior to the flood or to the big rains. That’s why we opened our shelters early. Even six inches of rain could be damaging and could be a hazard.”

In August, raging floodwaters from Hurricane Lala tore through portions of Kaʻū, isolating Pāhala, destroying a section of Highway 11, and leaving upper Pāhala residents dependent on helicopter airlifts for basic necessities. With forecasters warning of life-threatening rain, the prospect of another storm is creating deep anxiety.

Read more Hilo families stock up on essentials as Hurricane Nolo strengthens

“There are some, you know, PTSD if you will. We got hit pretty hard, especially on the south side in Kaʻū, and so there is some anxiety,” Alameda said. “However, our job as government is to provide as much information as timely as possible to let people know that we are prepared.”

Across Hawaii Island, county crews opened sandbag distribution stations, drawing residents eager to protect homes and businesses.

“We’re getting ready, filling sandbags. We got a shop over here. The water is gonna guarantee come in, and this helps out a lot,” one resident said. “It keeps the water from coming in and ruining everything.”

Another resident said he was more worried about the wind, but commended the community for looking out for each other.

“Mainly the wind too, because you can prepare as much as you can for the rain. But wind, I’m more worried about the wind,” an Army veteran said while loading sandbags. “Us Hawaiians, we just look after each other. The main thing is we look after each other during the storm and just prepare as much as we can.”

Emergency officials urge residents living in flood-prone or isolated areas to utilize shelters early, take advantage of evacuation shuttles, and check on neighboring families before conditions deteriorate.

Read more Pahala elderly couple who barely survived Hurricane Lala decides to ride out new storm

A list of shelters can be found here.