Tropical Storm Moke Brings Heavy Rain and Wind to Hawaii Following Hurricane Lala
- Forecasters indicate the storm will pass a couple of hundred miles south of the Big Island, bringing its core impacts through the weekend and into early next week.
- Unlike its predecessor, Moke is not projected to strengthen into a hurricane or make landfall.
- Rain and gusty winds will arrive on the Big Island on Saturday evening, according to forecasts.
Moke is moving west-northwest at a speed of 12 mph. Forecasters indicate the storm will pass a couple of hundred miles south of the Big Island, bringing its core impacts through the weekend and into early next week.
Unlike its predecessor, Moke is not projected to strengthen into a hurricane or make landfall. The National Hurricane Center expects the system to maintain tropical storm strength through Wednesday before weakening on Thursday.
Rainfall Projections and Severe Flood Risks for the Big Island
Rain and gusty winds will arrive on the Big Island on Saturday evening, according to forecasts. The system is expected to drop 5 to 10 inches of rain widely across the island, with isolated maximum amounts reaching 15 inches.
That incoming moisture poses a severe secondary threat to communities still recovering from Hurricane Lala. Lala struck the region as a Category 1 hurricane, dumping more than a foot of rain broadly and exceeding 40 inches in higher elevations.
The hurricane center warned that Moke’s rainfall could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly across windward and southeast portions of the Big Island, steep terrain, and areas recently damaged by Lala.
The rest of the Hawaiian island chain will also experience weather impacts as the storm progresses. Forecasters expect 1 to 3 inches of rain, with localized totals up to 5 inches, across the remainder of the state.
Ongoing Recovery Efforts After Hurricane Lala
The new tropical threat arrives while thousands of residents are still grappling with infrastructure damage left by Hurricane Lala.
Power restoration efforts have faced significant hurdles across the island. USA Today reported that more than 9,000 homes and businesses remained without power.
Beyond the heavy rainfall, Tropical Storm Moke is generating tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 115 miles from its center. Forecasters warn that high terrain areas will see strong gusts, while east- and south-facing shores face life-threatening swells and rip currents through the weekend.