With no place to run, people in Hawaii brace for hurricane
The category 4 storm could slam into the islands Thursday with winds exceeding 100 mph (161 kph), making it the most powerful storm to hit
Unlike
Instead, they must stay put and make sure they have enough supplies to outlast prolonged power outages and other potential emergencies.
"Everyone is starting to buckle down at this point," said
Living in an isolated island state also means the possibility that essential goods can't be shipped to
"You're stuck here and resources might not get here in time," Nagao said.
The
"The center of Lane will move very close to or over the main Hawaiian Islands from Thursday through Saturday," the weather service said.
Public schools were closed for the rest of the week and local government workers were told to stay home unless they're essential employees.
Shelters were being readied to open on
Many residents were trying to reinforce older homes made with single-wall construction.
"We're planning on boarding up all our windows and sliding doors,"
"We're getting some bags of rice and of course, some Spam," she said of the canned lunch meat that's popular in
She was organizing important documents into a folder — birth and marriage certificates,
Meteorologist
"We expect it to gradually weaken as it gets closer to the islands," Chevalier said. "That being said, on our current forecast, as of the afternoon on Thursday, we still have it as a major hurricane."
Puaoi said Home Depot opened at
"We are fully stocked," she said. "We have about nine cases of water because we're having family stay with us as well, so one case per person."
The
The central Pacific gets fewer hurricanes than other regions, with about only four or five named storms a year.
"Winds tend to steer storms away from there," said
Puaoi was 12 when Iniki hit
"When it did happen, I just remember, pandemonium, it was all out craziness," she said.
Some people have seen similarities in the paths of hurricanes Lane and Iniki. But Chevalier said today's more advanced and accurate information indicates they're completely different storms.
Nagao, who was 7 when Iniki hit, remembers that it took years before life on
"A lot of families didn't prepare for it," she said, recalling how her family had filled a boat with hundreds of gallons of water.
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