Moke weakens to tropical depression as Hawaii braces for rain

Tropical Storm Moke is expected to deliver heavy rainfall and gusty winds to parts of Hawaii on Sunday, as it skirts just south of the island chain, still reeling from the serious damage caused by Hurricane Lala last weekend.

Moke packed maximum sustained winds of 40 mph Sunday evening and was moving west at 15 mph, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. Moke’s center was forecast to pass south of the Big Island on Sunday, and then well south of the smaller Hawaiian islands early next week. It would likely start to weaken Sunday, forecasters said. 

Tropical storm warnings were in place through Sunday night for waters surrounding Hawaii, although no coastal warnings or watches were in effect. A flash flood watch was issued for parts of the Big Island, as forecasters warned of excessive rainfall through Monday afternoon.

Flooding and mudslides on the Big Island could be life-threatening, especially in steep terrain and over areas recently affected by Lala, said CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. 

There were also concerns about potential flooding on the island of Maui.

“Recent impacts from Tropical Storm Lala mean that even light to moderate rain and wind could trigger flooding, debris, downed trees, roadway issues and power outages,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement. “County departments have been preparing for Tropical Storm Moke, and we’re asking our community to do the same.”

“This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides for the windward and southeast Big Island, especially in steep terrain and over areas that were affected recently by Lala,” according to the National Hurricane Center.

The islands, especially the Big Island, were hit very hard by Hurricane Lala just last weekend. A hurricane hasn’t made direct landfall in the state since Iniki in 1992, but the eye of the then-Category 1 Hurricane Lala passed just 30 miles off the Big Island’s coast, bringing wind gusts over 80 mph and torrential rain, with some areas seeing more than 3 feet. Kapalua, located in Maui County, was hit with 48 inches of rain over the weekend. 

“We know many in our community are experiencing storm fatigue and still recovering from last weekend’s weather system, so mahalo for continuing to look out for one another and staying prepared — especially because we are up against an above-average hurricane season,” Bissen said.

The rainfall totals from Moke won’t be as high, but will still be dangerous, especially in conjunction with the already saturated ground. Rainfall totals across the hard-hit Big Island will span 5 to 10 inches with up to 15 inches in some locations, according to the hurricane center. Eastern Maui, the second-largest of the islands, will receive 3 to 6 inches on average. The rest of the islands could see 1 to 2 inches of rain.

The state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources warned Sunday, “the public is strongly urged to avoid forested and coastal areas,” noting people should stay away from “outdoor areas that may be exposed to hazards such as flooding, rockfalls, landslides, and unstable vegetation. Emergency response and rescue operations in these areas may be delayed because of dangerous conditions.”

Hawaii activated its joint information center on Saturday, just days after deactivating its center for Lala. The information center is responsible for coordinating updates for the public from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency also said Saturday that Hawaii Gov. Josh Green had submitted a request with the White House asking President Trump to issue an emergency declaration for both Lala and Moke. 

“Our teams are working on two fronts: helping communities recover from Lala while preparing for Moke,” Green said in a statement. “We have submitted our request for federal assistance to bring additional resources to Hawaii.”     

There are 189 Hawaii National Guard members supporting the emergency response efforts for Moke and recovery efforts from Lala, the state of Hawaii said in an update Sunday night. Of those 189 guard members, 98 were on Oʻahu, 17 were on Maui and 74 were on the Big Island, the state said. They will be helping with clearing debris, search and rescue efforts and extraction.

The islands are paying a price from an El Niño climate pattern, via warming waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Warm ocean waters are the essential fuel for tropical cyclone development, which makes this El Niño phase perfect conditions for an increased hurricane season in the region.

Because it reduces vertical wind shear, meaning changes in the direction of winds at higher levels of the atmosphere, an El Niño climate pattern allows for tropical systems that develop in the region to avoid getting “blown over” and falling apart.