Hawaiians breathing easier as Hurricane Ana moves past
HONOLULU – Hawaii residents started to relax Sunday afternoon after days of keeping a cautious eye on Hurricane Ana, which for several days has been churning dangerously close by.
The closest Ana got to Hawaii was about 70 miles southwest of the island Niihau on Sunday, leaving the state soaked but largely unscathed.
“It was a fortuitous track,” said Chris Brenchley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
Preparations for the storm began last week, with residents stocking up on bottled water, shelters opening and various events being canceled. On Sunday afternoon, all but one shelter on Kauai had closed, according to the Hawaii chapter of the American Red Cross.
“The good news is, it looks like we’ve dodged a bullet yet again,” Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said.
A tropical storm watch was canceled Sunday for Oahu, the state’s most populous island, but a flash flood warning was extended to 5 p.m. A tropical storm warning remained in effect for Kauai and Niihau, and a hurricane watch has been issued for parts of a few remote northwestern Hawaiian islands, home to a largely uninhabited marine sanctuary.
Ana is forecast to continue to weaken due to strong wind shear and is expected to be downgraded to a strong tropical storm later Sunday, the weather service said.
There have been no reports of injuries, deaths or significant damage from the storm, which was upgraded to a hurricane as it neared Hawaii late last week. The effects have been limited to heavy rain, large waves and some minor flooding.
Officials, however, asked people to stay home, avoid rain-soaked roads and keep out of the ocean.
“The ocean is angry today,” Honolulu Ocean Safety chief Jim Howe said, noting that there was plenty of brown water from runoff, which attracts sharks, near popular beaches.
Honolulu resident Trevor Kaplan and his family took advantage of the lack of crowds Sunday to hike to Manoa Falls. “We think it’s the best time to come out … lots of rain, huge waterfall and no people usually.”
Kauai officials remained on alert with the storm warning and flash flood watch in effect. Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said some beaches had been closed due to rain and high surf, but the day was otherwise typical.
A few hundred people on the island experienced power outages, but many had their service restored by Sunday morning.
Hawaiian Airlines canceled some morning Kauai flights, leaving about two dozen travelers to wait for an afternoon trip.