Hurricane Nolo Threatens Hawaii With Flooding

Hurricane Nolo strengthened south of Hawaii and was forecast to bring potentially catastrophic rainfall, flooding and mudslides, with the Big Island facing the earliest impacts and Maui and other islands also under alerts. Forecast rainfall could reach 35 inches or more on the Big Island and up to 20 inches on Maui, alongside dangerous surf, storm surge and strong winds. Officials closed schools and offices, opened shelters and urged residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate early; Maui residents were told to prepare and limit travel. Hawaiian Electric positioned crews and equipment for possible outages, and state insurance officials urged residents to check their coverage and document losses. The threat comes as communities continue recovering from Hurricane Lala, Hurricane Lowell and severe flooding earlier this year.