Lane is no longer a Category 5 hurricane, but the threat by Category 4 Hurricane Lane for Hawaii remain, and is weakening. It still poses a danger to Hawaii Thursday through Saturday with flooding rain, battering surf, coastal flooding and high winds possible. The impact is still unpredictable.
A hurricane warning has been posted for the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui County meaning that hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area.
A hurricane watch has now been issued for Kauai and remains in effect for Oahu, including the city of Honolulu.
This means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, and is typically issued 48 hours before the onset of tropical storm-force winds that may make preparations difficult or dangerous, according to Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
The center of Lane is about 300 miles south of the Big Island’s Kona coast or about 445 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii, moving west-northwest. Lane has weakened a tad, but remains a powerful Category 4 hurricane.
Tuesday evening, Hurricane Lane joined an exclusive company of Central Pacific Category 5 hurricanes, the first since Ioke in 2006, only the second on record within 350 miles of Hawaii(John in 1994 was the other) and the most intense north Pacific hurricane east of the International Date Line since Patricia in 2015.
The central pressure of Lane has leveled off since plunging late Tuesday, according to hurricane hunter aircraft.
Governor Ige is urging all visitors and residents to not underestimate the danger of the hurricane and get prepared. Schools and Universities are closed. The Hawaii Red Cross is in urgent need of volunteers.
Airlines are expected to cancel flights once the storm becomes a threat to the State and a safe operation to Hawaiian airports cannot be guaranteed.
