HONOLULU — Hone passed the main Hawaiian Islands on Monday after winds weakened to a tropical storm the day before, and it was raining heavily on the Big Island.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Hector was strengthening, packing sustained winds of 50 mph (about 80 kph). No coast watches or warnings were in effect as Hector continued to blow far out to sea, the National Hurricane Center said.
Hone (pronounced how-NEH) reached winds of 70 mph (110 kph) Monday morning as the hurricane passed near Hawaii, about 240 miles (386 kilometers) southwest of Honolulu and about 205 miles (330 kilometers) south of Lihue, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center reported at 5 a.m.
William Ahue, a meteorologist at the center’s Honolulu office, said Hone’s biggest impacts were rainfall and flash flooding, which closed roads, downed power lines and damaged trees in some areas.
Julia Neal, the owner of a bed and breakfast on a former sugar plantation in Pahala, on the Big Island, said she and some guests “experienced tropical storm force winds and heavy downpours overnight.” She added that “Hone was also a gift in a way, because we’ve been through a lot of drought.”
Highway 11 between Kona and Hilo was closed Sunday due to flooding. A higher alternative, Cane Road, was also closed due to flooding, isolating properties like the Aikane Plantation Coffee Co. outside Pahala. Owner Phil Becker said his 10-inch rain gauge overflowed during the deluge.
“We have quite a bit of flood damage. The gorges are flowing full force and they’re overflowing the bridges. So we’re stuck here and can’t get in or out,” Becker said.
Becker said his farm is off the grid, powered by solar-charged batteries, and his family is safe, so they have no reason to evacuate. The weather may even be favorable: “We’ve been in a drought situation, so the coffee probably loves all this rain,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Gilma, which was still well east of Hawaii, gained some strength Monday morning. Gilma is expected to remain a hurricane through Tuesday, but is expected to weaken significantly before it reaches the islands. On Monday morning, Gilma was about 1,220 miles (1,963 kilometers) east of Hilo with top winds of 105 mph (169 kph).
Shelters were opened last weekend as Hone blew in and beach parks on the east side of the Big Island were closed because of dangerously high waves, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said.
Hone, whose name means “sweet and gentle” in Hawaiian, recalled last year’s deadly fires on Maui, which were sparked by hurricane force winds. Red flag warnings are issued when warm temperatures, very low humidity and stronger winds combine to create a fire hazard. Most of the archipelago is already abnormally dry or in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The fire that broke out on August 8, 2023 historic town of Lahaina was the deadliest wildfire in US in more than a century, with 102 deaths. Dry, overgrown grasses and drought helped spread the fire.
The cause of the fire in Lahaina is still under investigation, but it is possible that it is inflamed by bare power lines and leaning utility poles that were blown over by the high winds. The state’s two power companies, Hawaiian Electric and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, had been prepared to shut off power if necessary to reduce the chance of live, damaged power lines starting fires, but they later said the safety measures would not be necessary as Hone swept through the islands.
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Walker reported from New York.