Maui Update
WAILUKU >> Maui County officials expect the brunt of the storm’s impact will be felt around 11:30 a.m., according to Keith Regan, county managing director.
Overnight and through this morning, the worst effects from Olivia reported by the county were a flooded road in Iao Valley caused by a blocked storm drain, landslides in the same area and some landslides in Hana. There also were a couple relatively minor power outages, including one in Haiku that affected about 500 customers and was fixed overnight.
Regan said those problems were addressed well. “So far, it’s been manageable,” he said.
Tommy Duarte, a 79-year old Iao Valley resident who has lived in the area for 70 years, said rain and wind overnight didn’t have a major effect on the big stream that runs below his home.
“It didn’t do much,” he said. “It was no biggie.” But Duarte also was aware that the island was not out of danger from Olivia yet. “It’s not finished,” he said of the storm.
Tropical Storm Olivia, which made a historic landfall on the island of Maui this morning followed by another landfall on Lanai, was about 40 miles west of Kahului and 60 miles east of Honolulu late this morning.
At 11 a.m., the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was heading west at 15 mph. Tropical storm-force winds of more than 39 mph extend out 90 miles from the center.
It was centered just west of Lanai late this morning. “A turn toward the west-southwest will occur today, with a similar west-southwest motion expected through Friday. … Gradual weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours,” forecasters said.
The island of Maui is under a flash flood warning until 1:30 p.m. The islands of Maui County and Oahu remain under a tropical storm warning, which was lifted earlier for the Big Island and Kauai. The entire state remains under a flash flood watch through Thursday night.
Forecasters said that strong wind shear and Olivia interaction with the high terrain of Molokai and Maui should weaken the system. Also, a “turn toward the west-southwest is expected as the weaker system becomes increasingly steered by the low-level trade wind flow,” froecasters said. “Olivia is forecast to become a tropical depression by Thursday and a post-tropical remnant low on Friday. This could occur sooner if Olivia is significantly weakened by island terrain.”
