Friday, August 8, 2014

Hawaii Feels Storm's Force, With Another Close Behind

Latest satellite pic shows crossing Hawaii from the east,the first named storm to do so in recorded history.


HONOLULU — After more than two decades without a hurricane hitting the state, two major storms are now laying siege to Hawaii. High winds from Hurricane Iselle began to hit the Big Island of Hawaii on Thursday night, though the center of the storm remained offshore hours after it had been expected to make landfall. Iselle was downgraded to a tropical storm later Thursday. Hurricane Julio, with winds of over 100 miles per hour, was close behind and could reach the islands over the weekend. Storm surges and high winds on Thursday night forced more than 800 people on the Big Island into evacuation shelters. The heavy rain and high winds, gusting at over 50 m.p.h., downed trees and power lines, cutting electricity to thousands across the island and blocking several highways. At a geothermal power plant, an uncontrolled release of hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous gas, prompted county officials to warn nearby residents to stay indoors and evacuate the area if they experienced discomfort. No severe damage had been reported, although Gov. Neil Abercrombie warned that conditions would worsen when the core of the storm hit the island. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/us/hawaii-hurricane.html

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