Hilo residents prepare for the worst as Moke brings minimal impacts
HILO (Hawaii News Now) — Residents in Hilo appear to have been spared by Moke just about a week after being drenched by Hurricane Lala.
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On Sunday, the weather in the typically rainy town was, for the most part, as it usually is: muggy, overcast, with scattered showers.
Heavier rains began at around 8 a.m., but lasted about an hour.
As the latest severe weather system nipped Hawai’i Island, evidence of the previous storm was seen in parts of Hilo.
At Lili’uokalani Gardens, Hawai’i County workers were hard at work Sunday consolidating branches that Lala’s whipping winds pulled down into piles.
The damage Lala left behind, as well as residents’ experience during the storm, had them more proactive ahead of Moke.
“Lessons were definitely learned. Personally, I kind of downplayed the situation. I figured it’d just be like another Hilo rain, maybe a day or two of rain, and will be OK but our power was out for about three days. We had to throw all of our food away,” said Hilo resident Precious Evangelista.
To avoid a repeat, Evangelista stocked up on supplies in case Moke also knocked her power out.
Read more Gov. Green says Moke impacts remain light, recovery efforts continue
“The shelves were definitely empty. Totally understandable at this time,” Evangelista added.
River and surf conditions
At the Wailuku River, the water didn’t look concerning, normal even, but when the U.S. Geological Survey checked the gauges, they found in discharge in cubic feet per second, things were higher than normal.
However, that’s been the case over the last few days since Lala , and the numbers appear to be dwindling.
“Be mindful of the river. It is a very powerful river, conditions can change at any time,” said Kainoa Queen, lead parking attendant at Rainbow Falls.
At the popular surfing spot Honolii, dozens of surfers took to the waters, and regulars said they know how to stay safe in these conditions.
“It just seems like it’s gonna be a lot of rain, not nearly as bad as the last one, hopefully, but you never know,” said Clint Barricklow.
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