Hurricane Iselle Likely To Arrive In Hawaii On Thursday

While Hurricane Iselle is a Category Four tropical cyclone tracking 1,190 miles east of Hilo, the National Weather Service is advising state and county civil defense and emergency management agencies that the storm is likely to hit Hawaii Thursday afternoon.

“It is likely Iselle will impact the islands sometime Thursday afternoon and will leave the state late Friday to early Saturday,” said Doug Mayne, administrator for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, formerly known as state Civil Defense. “Although the system should weaken according to forecasts, we recommend residents and visitors stay cautious and monitor local news stations.”

The NWS has not issued any watches or warnings for Iselle at this time.

Residents should prepare by having a reliable information source such as the Hawaii Island Civil Defense emergency notification system (email civildefense@hawaiicounty.gov and include your mobile phone number to request enrollment), HI-EMA said.

HI-EMA also recommended that residents:

— Review or create emergency plans that detail how to communicate with family and friends in emergencies and where to go if asked to evacuate.

— Assemble or check your emergency supply kit, which should have seven days of food and water (visit www.scd.hawaii.gov for a checklist) and have a smaller evacuation bag with changes of clothing, sturdy shoes, and copies of your identification and important documents.

— Prepare your home for possible high winds or locate the three hurricane evacuation shelters closest to you.

— Monitor local news broadcasts for the latest information.