(ABOVE PHOTO) Visible satellite image from the East & Central Pacific Wide View courtesy NOAA’s GOES-West.

NEWS BRIEF

• Hawaii County remains under a Tropical Storm Watch. The watch area has been expanded to Maui county leeward waters and portions of Alenuihaha channel.
• Mayor Billy Kenoi has declared a state of emergency in Hawai’i County.
• A new civil defense message issued at noon provides a list of closures due to the possible impacts of storm conditions (list below), including all DOE public and charter schools, all county beach parks and all state parks, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
• Scheduled weekend hunts under DLNR and Pohakuloa are also cancelled.
• Civil Defense reports surf of 5 to 10 feet is already occurring at Pohoiki. The surf is expected to peak Friday night with possible wave heights up to 20 feet on Friday night during the closest approach of Ana to the Big Island. Elevated surf up to 15 feet is possible along the Kona coasts on Saturday.

PRIMARY SOURCES

The National Weather Service Tropical Storm Watch for Hawaii Island remains in effect.

Due to the possible impacts of storm conditions and to insure the safety of our community the following closures and actions will be taken:

Effective Tomorrow Friday October 17th the following parks will be closed:

All county beach parks and all state parks

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

In addition, the following school closures will be implemented effective tomorrow Friday, October 17th:

All public and charter schools

St. Joseph School

Kamehameha Schools Hawai’i Campus and all Kamehameha Preschools

Additionally, all inter-scholastic athletic events and student activities are canceled beginning today, through the weekend, resuming when schools reopen.

For schools not listed please contact that campus or school directly for further information.

Additional updates will be broadcasted as information becomes available.Hawaii County Civil Defense on Oct. 16 at noon

LINK: Mayor Kenoi’s Emergency Proclamation via County of Hawaii

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will be closed Friday, October 17 in anticipation of Tropical Storm Ana.

According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, Tropical Storm Ana was located about 625 miles southeast of Hilo as of 2 p.m. Wednesday. At that time, the storm had maximum sustained winds at 70 mph, was moving west at nine miles per hour. It is expected to become a hurricane later today and will bring heavy rain, high wind speeds, and dangerous surf conditions.

No backcountry permits will be issued after 6 p.m. Thursday. The park’s Kahuku Unit will close the entire weekend, and International Archeology Day, previously scheduled for Saturday, is canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date.

If it is safe to do so, the park and its visitor centers will reopen at noon on Saturday, October 18.

“Our first priority is to keep our visitors, staff, and volunteers safe,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “We will reassess Saturday, and will reopen by noon as long as it is safe,” she said.

Volcano House and Kīlauea Military Camp will remain open to registered guests.Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Oct. 15

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife is canceling three scheduled weekend hunts, for public safety due to the approaching tropical storm Ana which will reach the islands by tomorrow.

Here are the cancellations:

Hawaii island:
Puu Wa’a Wa’a feral goat and sheep hunt on Saturday and Sunday Oct. 18 and 19

Special access cattle control hunt at Puu Oo on Saturday Oct. 18

Lanai:
Mouflon sheep rifle hunt, Saturday and Sunday Oct. 18 and 19

For further information, contact the Hawaii DOFAW office at (808) 974-4221 or Maui DOFAW office at (808) 984-8100.

DLNR will issue notice later today of closures to its lands due to storm Ana.Dept. of Land and Natural Resources on Oct. 16