County prepares for Felicias arrival
Posted by JAC on 8/9/2009, 7:29 pm
Equipment, people readied to respond

The Maui News and The Associated Press
POSTED: August 9, 2009



WAILUKU - The county government is organizing equipment and personnel to respond to "triple- threat conditions" from the approaching Hurricane Felicia, Mayor Charmaine Tavares said Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a flash-flood watch for Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe from Monday morning through Tuesday afternoon, and a tropical storm watch was also in effect for all of Maui County.

The county may close parks, pools, beaches or recreational facilities Monday, which could include canceling permitted events at community centers.

Depending on weather conditions, other public meetings, classes and county-sponsored activities and services could be canceled or postponed, according to a county press release. A public meeting scheduled for Monday on the Molokai Open Space Grant Application by the Molokai Land Trust has been postponed.

The American Red Cross Maui branch is expected to release information today on shelter locations and guidelines, including a list of sites that will accept pets.

Tavares said county departments had spent the past five days preparing for the storm.

"We have been staging equipment, assessing problem areas, putting employees on call and coordinating with state and federal agencies, as well as with community support organizations like the Red Cross to prepare for this potential triple threat of heavy rain, strong winds and high surf," she said.

While the hurricane is expected to be downgraded by the time it reaches Maui County, Tavares noted that lesser storms could still be dangerous, and said she was keeping in mind the destruction caused by the heavy storm in December 2007 under similar "triple-threat" conditions.

The National Weather Service said Felicia would likely be downgraded to a tropical storm or a tropical depression by the time it moves closer to the islands.

Other counties are also preparing for storm conditions.

Several beach parks on the Big Island will be closed beginning this afternoon because of the storm, which is expected to increase wave heights as it approaches land, Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency officials said Saturday.

Felicia peaked Thursday as a Category 4 storm with winds topping 140 mph. But the weakening storm entered the Central Pacific on Saturday as a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

The hurricane was about 800 miles east of Hilo on Saturday morning, moving west-northwest at about 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Forecasters said hurricane-force winds swirled 35 miles from its center, while tropical-storm-force winds extended 115 miles.

The National Weather Service warned Friday that there remained ''considerable uncertainty in the locations that will be affected, the onset and duration of heavy rains and the rainfall amounts.''

Forecasters were predicting possible heavy rains and flash flooding from Monday through Wednesday, and civil defense officials advised residents to prepare for possible flooding from heavy rains and to secure loose objects.

Saturday's forecast was the first to include information from the Air Force Reserve's ''Hurricane Hunter'' flights. A plane approached the hurricane Friday night and Saturday and planned more flights over the weekend.
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North Shore of Maui bracing for Felicia - JAC, 8/9/2009, 6:50 pm
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