HONOLULU – Heavy rains and gusts of wind hit Maui on Sunday when Hurricane Douglas swirled off the coast of Hawaii and authorities urged residents to take refuge.
Forecasters said the Category 1 hurricane would pass near Oahu and could even cause a direct impact on the island, which is home to the largest city in the state of Honolulu.
“We remain uncomfortable near a dangerous hurricane here in the state of Hawaii,” Robert Ballard, the science and operations officer for the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, said during a conference call.
The center of Hurricane Douglas, which Ballard called a “pretty nasty hurricane,” appears to have passed 45 miles north of Hana, Maui.
By mid-afternoon, the storm was 100 miles east of Honolulu.
Maui was projected to have the brunt of the storm before Douglas moved to Honolulu in the afternoon. Kauai would see the worst of the storm at night, possibly after dark.
Ballard said the storm was following the west-northwest over the island chain and that any variation of the closest path could lead to much worse weather. A direct hit on Oahu is still a possibility, he said.
“It probably isn’t the most likely solution right now, but when you forecast a hurricane to extend 40 miles north of Oahu, any small jog to the left will bring much worse conditions to the main Hawaiian islands.” So that’s a big concern, “he said.
Meteorologists warn that strong winds, rain and storm surge could cause damage. Douglas had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph in the afternoon.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell urged residents to take the threat seriously, saying Oahu has been lucky in recent years as the hurricanes that hit the island finally faded away. But not this time, he said.
“We are going to see strong winds and storms in parts of the island where the roads are very close to the water, where the houses are very close to the water. It could be a life-threatening event, “she said.” We don’t want to see anyone hurt or worse. “
