Tropical Storm Olana has formed in the Pacific and Hawaii faces days of heavy rain and flash flood risk ahead of Halloween, even as the storm itself stays offshore.
FOX Weather reported that Tropical Storm Olana, formerly Tropical Depression Three-C, has organized in the Central Pacific while the Hawaiian Islands brace for prolonged heavy rain and powerful wind gusts.
The National Hurricane Center said the system was moving east at 7 mph with winds gusting to 40 mph. The FOX Forecast Center expects Olana to fade into a remnant low by Wednesday morning and never reach Hawaii.
Distance will not spare the islands. Forecasters say the storm, and a weak low ahead of it, will pull deep tropical moisture across Hawaii from Tuesday through Thursday. Storms are expected to fire up as early as Monday night.
Some areas could pick up 5 to 8 inches of rain over two to three days. The heaviest totals are forecast along south- and west-facing slopes. High-elevation ground faces a higher mudslide risk once the soil is soaked.
The approach path is not the usual one for Hawaii, and the FOX Forecast Center said that difference matters.
The FOX Forecast Center stated:
"Rain moving in from the southwest is much different than west-moving tropical systems that move from the East Pacific."
Forecasters also noted:
"The direction the rain is moving from does matter,"
The National Weather Service warned residents to prepare for periods of heavy rain this coming week. A Flood Watch is possible in the coming days as the weak low ahead of Olana moves through.
Olana is forecast to sit far from the islands midweek, when some of the heaviest rain is expected to fall. Another weak storm system could develop west of Hawaii over the Halloween weekend and bring still more rain. Forecast details remain uncertain, which is why officials are telling people to get ready early.
When heavy rain is on the way, common-sense preparation beats a last-minute scramble, stock up, watch the slopes, and keep your family out of flood-prone ground.
