Officials prepare for flooding as Tropical Storm Nolo threatens Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii officials are preparing for the possibility of widespread flooding and putting additional resources in place as Tropical Storm Nolo threatens the islands.

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Gov. Josh Green is urging residents to prepare now, warning the storm could intensify quickly.

“It can get very serious very fast,” Green said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Bravender said Wednesday may be the last dry day for residents to get ready.

“Today is really the last dry day you have to get ready,” Bravender said. “Tomorrow we might have more rain, and then by Friday we might start to see winds ramping up.”

One of the biggest concerns is rainfall.

“We’re talking right now, rainfall totals potentially 20 to 30 inches of rainfall through the next four days, which could cause catastrophic flooding,” he added.

Bravender said some of the heaviest rain could fall over areas recently impacted by Hurricane Lala.

“There’s a potential for the greatest rainfall from this developing tropical cyclone to be over the same area that was impacted during Hurricane Lala,” Bravender said. “We’re under a flood watch starting this afternoon for both Maui and Hawaii counties that goes through Saturday. There’s a chance for heavy rain this afternoon and Thursday, but that threat really increases Friday into Saturday as that tropical cyclone approaches.”

The state Department of Transportation is warning drivers that flooding could develop in unexpected places.

DOT Director Ed Sniffen cautioned “We are cautioning the public. Water may be coming down in points that we don’t expect.”

He added that crews are also preparing known trouble spots.

“We do expect the low points in Kawa Flats and Honu’apo to flood in those areas.”

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Crews are clearing drainage systems and addressing areas damaged during previous storms.

“We’re still repairing it and we’re finalizing the repair now, making sure that before this next storm comes through, we don’t have those same types of impacts,” Sniffen said.

The governor has extended the emergency proclamation through Nov. 21, giving National Guard leadership more flexibility to activate additional personnel.

Hawaii National Guard Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan said 232 Guard personnel are currently positioned to support response and recovery efforts, with authorization to increase that number to 500.

“As of today, we have 232 Hawaii National Guard personnel that are positioned to support response and recovery efforts. The governor has authorized me to go up to 500 and we’re contacting those folks to try to bring them in before the storm impacts are felt.”

On Maui, more than 50 Guard personnel and five high-water vehicle teams are being prepared. About 75 personnel are positioned on Oahu, with additional high-water vehicle teams and aviation crews being organized.

On Hawaii Island, where Nolo is expected to linger for several days, officials are also preparing for possible evacuations.

Green said the state will prep additional shelter for people who want to leave their homes before conditions worsen.

“We’re going to pre-position some hotel rooms for people if they want to evacuate earlier starting today,” Green said.

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For the latest information on emergency resources: