Hone moves away from Hawaii's Big Island
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Residents recorded as Hone passed by the Hawaiian Islands, bringing with it heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds.
Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Hone intensified into a hurricane and then lashed Hawaii's Big Island on Sunday morning, but weakened as it moved past, and is expected to devolve into a tropical storm by Monday.
Hone was about 175 miles west of Kailua-Kona and about 160 miles south-southwest of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm was moving to the west at 13 mph, according to the 5 p.m. HST update from the National Hurricane Center.
Hone was designated as the eighth named storm in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday night when it gained maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. It is the third hurricane in the Pacific.
There are no watches or warnings in effect.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds up to 90 miles away. They are expected to be strongest downslope of higher terrain, over headlands and through passes, the hurricane center said.
Hurricane Hone lashed Hawaii's Big Island on Sunday. (Image credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
The hurricane is expected to pass well south of Oahu and Kauai over Monday morning and will pass north of Johnston island midweek, the forecasters said.
Gov. Josh Green had proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday, which gives him the power to activate the National Guard and a state disaster fund while suspending certain aspects of state law.
Camping areas on the Big Island were closed as a precaution, the governor's office said.
Emergency shelters were open across the Big Island.
More than 25,000 customers were without power in Hawaii, according to Poweroutages.US on Sunday night. The state has 1.44 million residents, including 200,000 on the Big Island.
Hawaii experienced the effects of the storm as it passed south of the islands, causing high winds and heavy rainfall.
Hone was named Thursday. It is expected to weaken as it moves further away from the Big Island.
Hurricane Gilma, a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, was about 1,310 miles east of Hilo, the forecasters said in their 5 p.m. HST update. It was moving west at 9 mph.
Earlier, Gilma was a Category 4 storm late Saturday with 130 mph winds.
A gradual weakening is expected although Gilma should remain a hurricane through into Tuesday, the NHC said. The storm is not currently threatening any population centers or major land masses.
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