Flossie nears Hawaii Island. (Courtesy NOAA, Central Pacific Visible Loop)
We can report at this hour that Hilo is calm, with little wind, and very little rain. The coqui frogs, on the other hand, are quite loud.
HILO, Hawaii – In just a few hours, the Big Island of Hawaii should be feeing the effects of Tropical Storm Flossie.
The storm is now 200 miles east of Hilo. It has weakened a bit, as predicted. Flossie now packs maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, as opposed to 60 mph from the last update at 8 p.m.
In its 11 p.m. update, the National Weather Service says:
 National Weather Service |
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What does that mean for Hawaii Island on Monday?
According to the National Weather Service:
| National Weather Service |
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The new track puts Flossie dead center over Hawaii Island.
Courtesy National Weather Service
There is something of a mystery regarding how the center of the island will impact the storm track. Flossie will go head to head with Mauna Kea. Even the National Weather Service takes note in their 11 p.m. discussion:
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Since our last update at 9 p.m. we have learned that Hawaii County Mass Transit is being shut down Monday. Civil Defense says all Mass transit Operations will be suspended effective midnight tonight. Bus routes will be restablished as weather conditions permit.
Also: CLOSED for Monday
- All solid waste transfer stations including Hilo and Puuanahulu landfills
- All county parks and beach parks, as well as all state beach parks.
- All non-essential county meetings and council hearings cancelled for Monday and Tuesday.
County Evacuation Shelters
Evacuation Shelters will be open by 4:00 Am tomorrow at the following sites: Pahoa Community Center, Aunty Sally”s Luau Hale, Laupahoehoe Charter School, Honokaa Sports Complex, Waimea Community Center, Hisaoka Gym in North Kohala, Mt. View School, Pahala Community Center, West Hawaii Civic Center.
Employees asked to stay home
In an effort to insure the safety of, and reduce the risk to employees, employers are encouraged to limit staffing to essential employees only. The County of Hawaii will be directing all non essential employees to remain home and County operations will be adjusted for emergency operations.
Big Island’s state courthouses closed Monday
From the Hawaii State Judiciary:
| State courthouses on the Big Island will be closed on Monday, July 29 due to Tropical Storm Flossie.Court hearings scheduled for Monday will be rescheduled to a later date. The Supreme Court will issue an order extending by one day, any Big Island court matter with a filing or hearing due date of July 29.
All Big Island courthouses will reopen on Tuesday morning. Courthouses in Oahu, Maui, and Kauai counties will be open on Monday as scheduled. |
YWCA Closed
YWCA of Hawaii Island facilities and offices will be closed Monday, July 29, due to concerns over Tropical Storm Flossie.
“We are following the lead of Hawaii County, which called for all non-essential workers to stay at home,” said Kathleen McGilvray, YWCA of Hawaii Island CEO.
The sexual assault crisis hotline will be available as long as phones are operational.
County Emergency Proclamation
We have also learned that Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi has signed his own Emergency Proclamation. Here’s the fine print:
| WHEREAS, Chapter 127, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, as amended, and Chapter 128, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, as amended, provide for the establishment of County organizations for disaster relief with a deputy director in charge of each political subdivision; andWHEREAS, the Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i has been appointed as the Deputy Director of Civil Defense of the County of Hawai‘i; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 7, Articles 1 and 2 of the Hawai‘i County Code, establishes a Civil Defense Agency within the County of Hawai‘i and prescribes its powers, duties, and responsibilities, and Section 13 23 of the Hawai‘i County Charter empowers the Mayor of the County to declare emergencies; and WHEREAS, the National Weather Service at 5:00 P.M. on July 27, 2013 issued a Watch for Tropical Storm Flossie Advisory Number 13 advising that Tropical Storm Flossie had entered Hawaiian waters and was located at 770 miles east of Hilo, Hawai‘i as a Tropical Storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and higher gusts; and WHEREAS, the National Weather Service at 11:00 P.M. on July 27, 2013 issued Tropical Storm Advisory Number 14 upgrading its Advisory to a Warning for Hawaii and Maui County and continuing this Warning in Tropical Storm Advisory 16 on July 28, 2013 with maximum sustained wind of 60 mph and higher gusts; and WHEREAS, a Tropical Storm Warning means that possible tropical storm conditions can occur any time within the next 36 hours; and WHEREAS, conditions associated with tropical storms include but are not limited to storm surge, high surf, wind and rain may occur; and; WHEREAS, due to the possibility of property damage and/or bodily injury to residents of Hawai`i Island, and the need for government agencies and representatives from the private sector to mobilize and provide immediate services to our island residents, a Civil Defense state of emergency is authorized pursuant to Chapters 127 and 128, Hawai`i Revised Statutes, as amended, and Chapter 7, Hawai`i County Code. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM P. KENOI, Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i, do hereby proclaim and declare that a state of emergency exits on the Hawai‘i Island, effective 1:00 P.M., July 28, 2013, and continuing thereon until further act by this office. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the County of Hawai‘i to be affixed. Done this 28th day of July 28, 2013 in Hilo, Hawai‘i. WIILIAM P. KENOI |
by Big Island Video News
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STORY SUMMARY
UPDATE (2:55 a.m.) – Things have stayed the same after the National Weather Service update at 2 a.m. Flossie is now less than 165 miles east of Hilo, moving towards the island at 16 miles per hour. Maximum sustained winds have held at 50 miles per hour. We can report at this hour that Hilo […]