Tropical Storm Moke to cause more flooding as Hawaii recovers from Lala | NPR & Houston Public Media

Tropical Storm Moke is bringing up to 15 inches of rain to Hawaii's Big Island and 3 to 6 inches to eastern Maui, risking further flooding days after Hurricane Lala.

Original report
www.houstonpublicmedia.org

Industry impact

Repeated severe weather over Hawaii raises the likelihood of power outages, hazardous roads and airport disruption that can affect regional business aviation operations and scheduling.

Tropical Storm Moke is approaching Hawaii, threatening life-threatening flooding and mudslides less than a week after Hurricane Lala struck the state. The NOAA National Hurricane Center said in a late Saturday advisory that Moke is already affecting the Big Island and will bring rain to other islands through Monday; the storm's center is not expected to make landfall and will pass south of the islands, but up to 15 inches of rain could fall on the Big Island and 3 to 6 inches on eastern Maui. The Hurricane Center warned the rain could cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides on the windward and southeast Big Island, particularly in areas already hit by Lala, and Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda urged residents to prepare for power and communication interruptions and hazardous roads.

Hawaii is still recovering from Hurricane Lala, which did not make landfall but dropped more than 30 inches of rain on parts of the state, triggering floods and mudslides that destroyed roads and bridges and swept floodwaters through several towns. At least one person, a 90-year-old woman, died in the flooding, and more than 8,000 people remained without power as of Saturday morning, with Hawaiian Electric saying full restoration was not expected until September 8. Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed a request asking the White House to declare an emergency over Lala, which has since weakened to a tropical storm moving northwest away from Hawaii.