Residents living in Hawaii were put on hurricane watch during the week of August 19th due to what was initially a category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of up to 120 miles an hour. Yahoo stated that Hurricane Lane was predicted to come close to the islands of Oahu, Molokai and Maui. As the storm grew, scientists soon labeled it as a category 5, making it the second category 5 hurricane to pass Hawaii since officials started keeping records. The first was hurricane John, in 1994, but the storm had very little impact. These alarming reports had officials urging residents to board up their homes and have enough food, water, and supplies for 14 days.
According to CNN, on Thursday, August 23th the island received about 20 inches of rain and a warning signal had been set off. On the 28th, flash flood warnings had been sent out for the island of Kauai, and residents on the North Coast were urged to evacuate.
Huffpost explained that since Hawaii is so small compared to the size of the Pacific Ocean, it is unusual for hurricanes to hit directly. Hurricane Lane was no exception to this. As it was approaching the islands, it reduced to a tropical storm, and then it moved west, away from land. Even after the storm had passed, flash flood warnings still stood, and tensions were still high as Tropical Storm Miriam lurked 200 miles from the coast, and was growing as it traveled closer to the islands. According to Yahoo, almost immediately after the threat of Miriam dispersed, another threat of Tropical Storm Olivia appeared, which means residents have to prepare for that storm while still trying to recover from what damage Lane caused.