A hurricane and a tropical storm on Wednesday were heading west across the Pacific Ocean toward the tourist haven of Hawaii, where officials announced school closures and warned visitors and residents to prepare, according to The Associated Press.
Hurricane Iselle was about 860 miles east of Hilo, on the Island of Hawaii, moving west-northwest at 13 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday, the AP reported.
Residents were stocking up on basics as authorities in Honolulu advised them to prepare a seven-day disaster supply kit, according to the AP. The hurricane was forecast to weaken over the next 48 hours, the NHC center said.
Further east over the Pacific, Tropical Storm Julio was about 1,290 miles from Baja California in Mexico and also expected to continue moving west-northwest through Thursday, the NHC said on Wednesday, the AP reported. That storm was moving at 15 mph and has maximum sustained wind speeds of 65 mph.
Shoppers in Honolulu waited in line at supermarkets with carts full of bottled water, batteries and nonperishable food items, according to the AP.
"With Hawaii's remoteness, it could be as long as a week before a full disaster relief operation can be initiated," the department said in a statement late on Monday, the AP reported.
The Coast Guard warned people to prepare for the onset of heavy weather by Thursday, with the hurricane and tropical storm expected to generate extreme sea conditions, storm surge and surf of 10 to 15 feet throughout the island chain, according to the AP.
Honolulu school teacher Gina Nakahodo said she had felt calm about the situation, until she reached the empty water aisle of her local grocery store early on Tuesday, according to the AP.
"We've had so many storms that have passed us by, but with these two back to back you begin to worry. Then all of the sudden the aisles are empty and there's no water and it makes your heart pound a little," Nakahodo said, the AP reported.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch from early Thursday to early Saturday, with Hurricane Iselle expected to bring heavy rains to the islands, according to the AP. Public schools would be closed on Thursday on the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and the Big Island, the Hawaii State Department of Education said.
