Hawaii Hurricane - Hurricanes Julio and Iselle Ruin Vacations

Hawaii Hurricanes Juio and Iselle

Hawaii Hurricane – The Aloha State just can’t seem to catch a break these last couple days. Both Hurricane Julio and Hurricane Iselle have been ripping through Hawaii at high speeds.

States on the east coast may be more used to hurricane season, but Hawaii hasn’t had a major hurricane in 22 years! They’re also land-locked on an island in the middle of the pacific, making escape nearly impossible.

On Governer Neil Abercrombie’s website it says all government offices are closed tomorrow, and schools in Kauai and Oahu will be closed as well.

Hawaii Hurricane Iselle

The Hawaii Hurricane Iselle has slowed down from 85 mph winds yesterday to 80 mph (129 Kilometers) today. It’s currently a Category 1 storm. At 8 a.m. local time the storm was located about 255 miles east-southeast of Hilo (the big island) according to the U.S. Central Pacific Hurricane Center. It is expected to hit Hilo tonight, and if everything goes according to forecast this will be the first major Hawaii hurricane since 1992.

Hurricane Julio

Hurricane Julio is located further east, about 1,235 miles east of Hilo, and is slowly growing stronger. It’s top winds have reached 105 mph, escalating it to a Category 2 storm, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Hawaii Hurricane Alerts

The local National Weather Service reports that a hurricane warning has been issued for the Big Island of Hawaii (Hilo) and surrounding waters. The rest of the state has a tropical storm warning and a flash flood watch in place.

The central Pacific center advisory stated:

“Very large and damaging surf is expected to rapidly build along east- and south-facing shores today and tonight, especially on the Big Island; The combination of dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising water.”

Hawaii Volcanoes

The National Park Service reports that there is also a possibility the Big Island Volcanoes (13,677 feet [4,169 meters]) may weaken the storm’s power.