Officials in Hawaii urged residents to take refuge when Douglas, the Category 1 hurricane, swirled off the coast, hitting Maui in heavy rain and gusts of high winds.
Forecasters said this season’s first hurricane in the Central Pacific 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.
Late on Sunday afternoon, the storm was about 75 kilometers east of Honolulu. Douglas had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph at noon.
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“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,” appeared to have passed 45 miles north of Hana, Maui.
Maui was projected to have the brunt of the storm until noon Sunday 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 was 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 warned that strong winds, rain and storm surge could cause damage. The rain was expected to be between 5-15 inches.
Oahu, Kauai, and Maui were all under a hurricane warning, though a hurricane watch for the Big Island was canceled.
In 2018, the huge and powerful Hurricane Lane took a last-minute turn and narrowly saved Oahu, the most populous island in Hawaii. The last major hurricane to hit the state was Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which struck Kauai and caused massive damage across the island.
Officials on Oahu and Maui sounded the emergency sirens as the rain fell and stormy winds shook the trees. They urged people living there to take refuge on the spot or, as a last resort, to take refuge in shelters.
About 300 people were evacuated to the Hawaii Convention Center, on the outskirts of Waikiki. In Maui, 22 people were in five shelters around the island.
Evacuees were asked to bring masks and hand sanitizer along with the usual emergency supplies of food and water. People must wear face shields to be admitted, and must wear them unless they are eating, drinking, or sleeping.
State health department officials contacted each of the 625 people who were currently in isolation or quarantined as of Friday because they are positive for the coronavirus or have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. All indicated that they would take refuge on the spot and would not seek refuge in a hurricane shelter.
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Hawaii has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the nation, but COVID-19 numbers have increased in recent weeks. For three consecutive days through Saturday, Hawaii reported record highs for recently confirmed cases.
Governor David Ige said Hawaiians should already have their 14-day emergency supply kits, but because of COVID-19, he encouraged people to add masks, hand sanitizers, and sanitizing wipes.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
