Hurricane Nolo could cause “catastrophic” flooding in Hawaii, forecasters warn

Hurricane Nolo is approaching Hawaii as a potential “catastrophic” rainmaker, the National Hurricane Center says.

It’s threatening to dump up to 3 feet of rain on Hawaii’s Big Island, enough to cause “catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding,” the center warns, and is expected to bring heavy rainfall to the Big Island for the next several days.

Nolo strengthened into a hurricane on Thursday over the Pacific Ocean after hitting tropical storm strength Wednesday.

Nolo had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph as of Thursday night local time — barely above the 74 mph need for a storm to be categorized as a hurricane on Saffir-Simpson scale. But the Miami-based hurricane center said “steady to rapid intensification” is expected and “Nolo is forecast to become a major hurricane by this weekend.” Major hurricanes have winds of at least 111 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 30 miles from Nolo’s core and tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 105 miles.

Nolo’s center was some 435 miles south-southeast of Honolulu and 255 miles south of South Point, which is on the Big Island and is the southern-most point in the entire U.S. It was moving north-northeast at 5 mph.

Nolo is expected to approach the Big Island on Friday and Saturday, and its center is expected to skirt just south of it.

The Big Island was under a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning, and a tropical storm watch was in effect for Maui County.

“Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin by late Friday in the warning area, with hurricane conditions possible by
early Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch area beginning on Saturday,” the center said.

Nolo is expected to bring around 15 to 30 inches of rain to the eastern and southern portions of the Big Island, with up to 35 inches possible in some areas. That much rain could trigger “catastrophic life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” the hurricane center warned.

The Big Island’s western areas could see 5 to 8 inches of rain and 10 at most. For Maui, 4 to 8 inches are possible with as much as 15 in some spots. Those totals could also produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain, the center stressed. The rest of Hawaii is likely to get 1 to 3 inches and 6 at most, enough to set off isolated flooding.

All state parks on the Big Island will be closed Thursday, and all state parks on Maui will be closed Friday because of the storm, the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources said Thursday. 

Nolo formed as another storm, Hurricane Polo, continued to swirl in the Pacific, off Mexico’s southwestern coast.

The latest storms add to an unsually active season in the Pacific. Earlier this month, Hurricane Lowell brought damaging winds and heavy rain to the western Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Niihau, bringing down trees, damaging roads and knocking out power for thousands.

Last month, Hurricane Lala washed away about 100 homes, triggered landslides and caused widespread power outages as it brushed past Hawaii.