Hurricane Lane at Cat 2: Another of those deadly slow-moving weak storms

"Hurricane Lane was moving so slowly that band after band of torrential downpours were continuing to lash the Big Island on Friday ... As Hurricane Lane continued to trudge along late Thursday into Friday, its slow pace was emerging as the biggest concern. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center, in Honolulu said, "Excessive rainfall associated with this slow moving hurricane will continue to impact the Hawaiian Islands into the weekend, leading to significant and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides."

This happened with Hurricane Harvey; that storm had also weakened by the time it hit land but because it was so slow-moving it kept hugging the shoreline instead of blowing inland -- so it went back and forth, back and forth, between land and water, sustaining itself by drawing energy from the waters. It actually created its own weather system. Result: catastrophic flooding. 

But on the Maui island there's a twist with Hurricane Lane: an uncontrolled wildfire, would you believe. The rains haven't hit the affected area yet, but gale-force winds from the hurricane have, driving the fire. Well, should be doused by tonight their time, when the rains arrive.  

CBS News 

Hurricane Lane: Category 2 storm bringing "catastrophic flooding" to Hawaii
Last Updated Aug 24, 2018 - 6:39 PM EDT

• Hurricane Lane barreled toward Hawaii on Friday, dumping torrential rains that inundated the Big Island's main city. Residents elsewhere stocked up on supplies and piled sandbags to shield oceanfront businesses against the increasingly violent surf.

  The storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was moving at a pace of just 5 mph, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. ET advisory (11 a.m. local time).

  The city of Hilo, population 43,000, was flooded with waist-high water. The National Guard and firefighters rescued six people and a dog from a flooded home. Five tourists from California were rescued from another home.

  "There's so much rain, the drainage is all saturated," said Hawaii County Managing Director Wil Okabe. "We're just letting nature take its course, getting water down to the ocean and responding to any rescues."

  The Category 2 storm was expected to turn west on Saturday before reaching the islands and skirting Oahu -- the state's most populated island. Even without making a direct hit, forecasters said the system threatened to bring a huge storm surge, high wind and heavy rain.

  Early Friday morning, a brushfire on the island of Maui forced a hurricane shelter to evacuate in Lahaina. The flames spread to 300 acres, and officials said a woman who was burned in the hands and legs was flown to Honolulu.

• ​Officials say damage is potentially catastrophic

  With rain pounding Hawaii's Big Island, officials who have seen the damage call it potentially catastrophic. Inside one home in Hilo, there appeared to be a waterfall, cascading down the stairwell, CBS News' Mireya Villarreal reports.

  Hurricane Lane was moving so slowly that band after band of torrential downpours were continuing to lash the Big Island on Friday. The storm was heading directly toward Hawaii's most populated islands of Oahu and Maui. On Waikiki, tourists were being warned to stay out of the water.

• A new threat was also coming from tropical force winds that were pushing a large wildfire on Maui near Lahaina. Five inches of rain were in the forecast Friday night, but until it falls, there is little to stop the fire.

• Hawaii officials warn about risks from runoff

  Hawaii health officials warn that Hurricane Lane has caused storm-water runoff to enter the ocean, posing possible health risks to swimmers and surfers.

  The state Department of Health issued a statewide advisory Friday about brown water. Officials warn the public to stay out of floodwaters and storm-water runoff because of possible overflowing cesspools, sewers and manholes, along with chemicals, pesticides and dead animals from flood debris.

  They say if the water is brown, stay out.

Dozens of people are still swimming and surfing off the famed Waikiki Beach in Honolulu despite police or fire vehicles blasting out periodic warnings that the beach is closed and everyone needs to leave.

[Well, what can be said? TIH: This is Hawaii]

Flooding closes major roads on Hawaii's Big Island

The hurricane is taking a toll on roads on Hawaii's Big Island, with three major roads closed due to flash flooding, according to officials. Officials said early Friday morning local time that only one highway was available for travel across the island.

Numerous secondary roads also were closed.

Multiple landslides could force more closures as rain pounds the island. More than 30 inches of rain associated with the hurricane had fallen on the Big Island as of early Friday, with some areas recording 35 inches in 48 hours.

• Brushfire on Maui forces relocation of a shelter

  A brushfire on Hawaii's island of Maui has forced the relocation of a shelter for people who were staying there as Hurricane Lane approaches.

  Maui County officials said there was a rapidly spreading fire in the community of Lahaina Friday on the island's western side. Nearby residents were being evacuated.

  Officials, as a precaution, moved 26 people who evacuated because of the hurricane from a shelter at a Lahaina school to a civic center. Maui County spokesman Rod Antone said it's not clear if the fire is hurricane related.

• Hurricane watches and warnings

  Friday morning, the islands of Oahu and Maui remained under a hurricane warning, while Kauai was under a hurricane watch.

  The hurricane warning for the Big Island has been dropped, and the island is now under a tropical storm warning.

  CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB reports heavy rains that started late Wednesday have triggered widespread flooding and evacuations on the Big Island, and have closed off several main thoroughfares.

• FEMA briefing: "Please heed the warnings"

  Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service held a briefing about the hurricane response in Washington Friday morning.

  "Please heed the warnings. It's very dangerous to be outside," FEMA Administrator Brock Long said. "Bottom line is that we're going to see torrential rains that could occur for the next 48 to 72 hours."

  He warned that it will be "a marathon."

  "The big island in Hawaii, Hawaii counties received in some cases 2 feet of rain already. And unfortunately there's more to come," Long said.

  The weather service said Lane was centered about 160 miles southwest of Kona, on Hawaii's Big Island.

  Meteorologist Steve Goldstein said its track is expected to continue through the day before turning west on Saturday. Lane will remain at hurricane strength, "dangerously close" to Hawaii through the day Friday and Saturday, while heavy rainfall and flooding will continue even after the eye of the storm passes.

• • 1,500 spend night in shelters

    Red Cross officials say more than 1,500 people across the state stayed in shelters Thursday night as they waited out the storm, CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB reports. The largest number sought shelter in Oahu, where 20 shelters hosted about 1,100 people overnight.

    The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency says public schools can serve as shelters but most are not strong enough to withstand hurricane-force winds. Authorities are evaluating which school facilities are strong enough and in safe areas.

  • Lane triggers major flooding on Big Island

    The monster storm is expected to bring torrential rains to island communities. That was exactly what the Big Island saw through much of the day Thursday, reports CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV.

    Heavy rains that started late Wednesday on the island triggered widespread floodingand evacuations, and closed several main thoroughfares.

    Over the course of the day Thursday, several communities had already seen more than a foot of rain. Waiakea saw more than 23 inches, while Hakalau saw over two-and-a-half feet.

    Saddle Road above Hilo was inundated with water, and officials with the Hawaii Department of Transportation reported water levels two to three feet deep.

As Hurricane Lane continued to trudge along late Thursday into Friday, its slow pace was emerging as the biggest concern.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center, in Honolulu said, "Excessive rainfall associated with this slow moving hurricane will continue to impact the Hawaiian Islands into the weekend, leading to significant and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides."

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Torrential rain shaping up as main event

As Hurricane Lane continued to trudge along late Thursday into Friday, its slow pace was emerging as the biggest concern.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center, in Honolulu said, "Excessive rainfall associated with this slow moving hurricane will continue to impact the Hawaiian Islands into the weekend, leading to significant and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides."

"Lane is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 20 inches, with localized amounts of 30 to 40 inches possible over portions of the Hawaiian Islands. Over two feet of rain has already fallen at a few locations on the windward side of the Big Island."

According to the center, as of 11 p.m Thursday local time, Lane was about 215 miles south of Honolulu and 165 miles southwest of Kailua-Kona, moving north at 6 mph.

Maximum sustained winds were almost 120 mph, with higher gusts.

"On the latest forecast track, the center of Lane will move over, or dangerously close to portions of the main Hawaiian islands late Friday and Friday night," the center said. "Some weakening is forecast from Friday through late Saturday, but Lane is expected to remain a hurricane as it approaches the islands."

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