Lane was downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday, but forecasters warned the threat remained of torrential rains, flash floods and landslides. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was located about 150 miles sout of Honolulu, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.
The storm was moving at just 3 mph, meaning the heavy rains and wind gusts will continue to lash the Hawaiian islands.
Nearly 3 feet of rain has been dumped on the Big Island, forecasters said.
Oahu, Maui County and the Big Island are now under a tropical storm warning. Kauai County is under a tropical storm watch.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles from the center of the storm.
Forecasters say Lane is expected to become a remnant low by Saturday or Sunday.
The city of Hilo, population 43,000, was flooded with waist-high water. The National Guard and firefighters rescued six people and a dog from a flooded home. Five tourists from California were rescued from another home.
“There’s so much rain, the drainage is all saturated,” said Hawaii County Managing Director Wil Okabe. “We’re just letting nature take its course, getting water down to the ocean and responding to any rescues.”
Early Friday morning, a brushfire on the island of Maui forced a hurricane shelter to evacuate in Lahaina. The flames spread to 300 acres, and officials said a woman who was burned in the hands and legs was flown to Honolulu.
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