Tropical Storm Moke is tracking south of Hawaii, threatening the Big Island and Maui with up to 15 inches of rain and dangerous flooding just one week after Hurricane Lala battered the region, prompting an emergency declaration request from Gov. Josh Green.
Hawaii is facing a punishing double blow from the Pacific as Tropical Storm Moke is expected to deliver heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the island chain. The system is currently skirting just south of the islands, arriving while communities are still struggling to recover from the extensive damage left behind by Hurricane Lala last weekend.
Moke packed maximum sustained winds of 40 mph Sunday evening and was moving west at 15 mph, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. Forecasters noted the storm’s center was slated to pass south of the Big Island on Sunday and then well south of the smaller Hawaiian islands early next week, with weakening expected to begin Sunday.
Flash Flood Warnings and Saturated Soils on the Big Island
Even though Moke is a less powerful system than its predecessor, officials warned that the storm poses severe risks because soils remain completely saturated from last week’s torrential downpours. A flash flood watch was issued for parts of the Big Island, as forecasters warned of excessive rainfall through Monday afternoon.
Flooding and mudslides on the Big Island could be life-threatening, especially in steep terrain and over areas recently affected by Lala, said CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. There were also concerns about potential flooding on the island of Maui.
Rainfall totals across the hard-hit Big Island will span 5 to 10 inches with up to 15 inches in some locations, according to the hurricane center. Eastern Maui will receive 3 to 6 inches on average, while the rest of the islands could see 1 to 2 inches of rain.
The threat is exacerbated by the geographic vulnerability of the terrain following Hurricane Lala, which passed just 30 miles off the Big Island’s coast as a Category 1 storm. That system brought wind gusts over 80 mph and torrential rain, with some areas seeing more than 3 feet. Kapalua, located in Maui County, was hit with 48 inches of rain over the weekend.
Maui County Mayor Warns of Debris and Power Outages
Recent impacts from Tropical Storm Lala mean that even light to moderate rain and wind could trigger flooding, debris, downed trees, roadway issues and power outages,
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement. County departments have been preparing for Tropical Storm Moke, and we're asking our community to do the same.
We know many in our community are experiencing storm fatigue and still recovering from last weekend's weather system, so mahalo for continuing to look out for one another and staying prepared — especially because we are up against an above-average hurricane season, Bissen said
State Response and Federal Emergency Request
In response to the dual threats, the state moved quickly to ramp up emergency coordination. Hawaii activated its joint information center on Saturday, just days after deactivating its center for Lala. The information center is responsible for coordinating updates for the public from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency also said Saturday that Hawaii Gov. Josh Green had submitted a request with the White House asking the president to issue an emergency declaration for both Lala and Moke.
Our teams are working on two fronts: helping communities recover from Lala while preparing for Moke,
Green said in a statement. We have submitted our request for federal assistance to bring additional resources to Hawaii.
Meteorologists attribute the heightened tropical activity to an El Niño climate pattern, via warming waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Warm ocean waters are the essential fuel for tropical cyclone development, which makes this El Niño phase perfect conditions for an increased hurricane season in the region. Because it reduces vertical wind shear—meaning changes in the direction of winds at higher levels of the atmosphere—an El Niño climate pattern allows for tropical systems that develop in the region to avoid getting “blown over” and falling apart.
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