Hurricane Felicia gives reminder to remain prepared

Jul. 16—Officials are once again reminding residents to remain vigilant this hurricane season as forecasters keep an eye on one heading this way from the Eastern Pacific.

As of late Thursday morning, Hurricane Felicia had strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The center of Hurricane Felicia at 5 p.m. Thursday was about 2, 000 miles east-southeast of Hilo, still too far to make any impact on the Hawaiian Islands or even the local weather forecast. Felicia at the time had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and was heading west at 9 mph.

A gradual turn to the west-southwest is expected by today with westward motion expected this weekend, NHC officials said. At the end of the current five-day forecast period, Felicia is expected to slow down to 70 mph as it approaches the Central Pacific, where Hawaii is located.

While the storm is still too far away to determine any impact to Hawaii's weather or surf, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Gavin Shigesato, it's the first with potential activation in the Central Pacific. It's also a reminder of how important it is to always be prepared.

NWS is monitoring Hurricane Felicia's development closely, and is ready to take over forecast duties when it crosses the 140-west longitude.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has in its outlook for the Central Pacific hurricane season, which started in June and continues through Nov. 30.

At the start of hurricane season, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency reminded residents of six preparation actions to take.

First, one should know where potential hazards are in places that one lives, works or plays, including where there are trees or large, loose objects that can blow over and injure a person.

Second, one should sign up for, and third, have an emergency family plan in place that includes a safe meeting place in case members get separated, as well as the location of the nearest shelter or hurricane refuge area if evacuation is required.

There should also be a communications plan for how to let other family members know you are safe.

Residents should also prepare a two-week emergency supply kit including water, nonperishable food, a manual can opener, first-aid kit, battery-operated or crank radio, flashlight, and important documents sealed in a waterproof bag, among other items.

It is also a good idea, if one has not already done so, to consider flood or hurricane insurance, and to protect one's property with a hurricane retrofit or hurricane clips.

Last summer, within. Douglas remained a Category 1 hurricane as it passed north of the main Hawaiian Islands in late July, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to some areas.

The Department of Emergency Management issued a release last month advising residents to review as an important step in hurricane preparedness.

It is important to determine ahead of time whether one might need to evacuate in advance of a storm, and where to go, officials said.

The city's recently revised hurricane refuge area list includes 38 sites, down from 122, that could potentially open as public shelters in advance of a tropical cyclone.

Last year the city used federal funding to evaluate more than 200 existing buildings and to determine which would be best suited as hurricane shelters. The number of shelters declined after a detailed evaluation by structural engineers.

More hurricane preparation tips are available at.

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