Hawaii faces catastrophic flooding from Category 5 Hurricane Polo

The tropical Atlantic ocean remained hurricane-free on Thursday (though there was Tropical Storm Fay), and it was the Pacific that had much of the National Hurricane Center’s attention. Forecasters were tracking powerful Category 5 Hurricane Polo near Mexico, Category 1 Hurricane Odalys farther west, and Tropical Storm Nolo, which is presenting a threat to Hawaii, part of which was under a hurricane watch. The hurricane center is forecasting Nolo to become a hurricane by Thursday night, and it could strengthen even more into a major hurricane. Here is the official forecast track for Nolo: The hurricane center’s official forecast track keeps the center of Nolo south of the islands, but it will be close enough that some of the islands, particularly the Big Island, could get what forecasters warned were “catastrophic” amounts of rain. In fact, the hurricane center’s rainfall forecast suggests the Big Island (or Hawaii County) could receive up to 35 inches of rain from Nolo: “The time to prepare for significant heavy rain and flooding impacts on the Big Island is now, as heavy rain becomes more likely by Thursday and Friday,” the hurricane center warned. “Periods of heavy rain are likely to continue across the Big Island and Maui through the weekend.

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