Hurricane Iselle Approaching Hawaii Followed By Tropical Storm Julio

stay safe my friend, my thoughts are with you all.

Hope it's not as bad as expected. Good luck and stay safe

I know it can be nerve-wracking living somewhere that relies on boats and planes if there's an emergency. Be safe, Sharon! I hope your beautiful part of the world remains undamaged.

It may very well be time to sink the skiff, and move inland!

Be safe. Sharon.

Keeping all of you in thoughts and prayers, Sharon.

Hopefully there won't be any major damages to this beautiful place. Be safe Sharon :)

Be sure to check in with us later and give us and update if the Internet isn't knocked out. I was there on the slopes of Haleakalā . . near Makawao last Christmas. Such a great place!

Take care Sharon!

Hope it will pass without many troubles! Stay safe Sharon!

Keep Safe! My daughter is supposed to fly home to Honolulu Thursday. It looks like Hawaiian will be making flight changes for the next few days. I'm in the Puna district on the east side of Hawaii island. We will get it here first. I'm at around the 700' elevation and 4 miles in from the ocean. I was outside today securing everything around the house. Looks like I have all of my supplies and should be OK with 1/2 tank of gas. It looks like most stores here have ran out of things.

Well again, stay safe........Kerri

Best wishes to all on the islands and hoping these storms pass by without damage or loss of life.

Stay safe Sharon, but also keep an eye out for those "once in a lifetime" kind of photo ops!

Best wishes!

Ugh, best wishes that everyone on the island stays safe and fares well. There is still some time that I hope that the path of both veers enough so that what hits is barely a tropical storm.

Thinking of visiting Maui at the end of the year. I've been to Hawaii twice but never to Maui. I hope you guys get through with minimal problems....I was watching the weather channel last night and it looked menacing.....stay safe!!!

Dear Sharon:

I'm sending you positive vibrations and prayers that the storm spares all of you in Hawaii. Living on the tropical island of Puerto Rico we too are burdened by hurricanes which have created so much havoc. I've lived through two and know the consequences. God bless!

Sharon, best of luck to you and your loved ones. Please keep in touch via this thread when you can.

If Texas could steer those storms off of you and onto us, we would. (Six straight years of drought makes people desperate.) Since we can't control where it goes, though . . . I hope you are spared danger and damage. Stay safe!

Hello Sharon, having lived through many Hurricanes here in New Orleans, you are doing everything you can do and I hope the storm does not have a bad impact on you. Stay safe and very careful after the storm, keep watch of downed power lines. Stock up on water now if you can and the basics, also if your power is out for a while, don't forget if you loose power have charcoal for grilling, afterwards, you don't know how long it will be til power returns..... ......I am sure you have been through the routine......my throughts and prayers are with you all......Michael Hoard

WOW! two in tandem, thatz scary! Living in Florida, the threat is quite frequent. I am glad you have high-ground to retreat to. Sounds like the best place to be is high and west. Take care Sharon

not much consolation but she's been downgraded (for now) to a tropical storm when she hits hawaii. stay safe, Sharon.

Iselle retains strength as it moves toward Hawaii
Hurricane warning up for Big Island; tropical storm warning posted for Maui
UPDATED 3:47 PM HST Aug 06, 2014

HONOLULU — "A hurricane warning has been issued for the Big Island and surrounding waters, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning is also in effect for Maui County and surrounding waters. A tropical storm watch is posted for Oahu. A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical storm force winds.

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, Iselle was about 542 miles east-southeast of Hilo. It is moving west-northwest near 16 mph. Forecasters say this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. Iselle is expected to pass near or over the Big Island Thursday night and south of the smaller islands on Friday.

Click here for the latest track for Iselle http://www.kitv.com/weather/hurricanes/27344550

Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph, still a Category 1 hurricane, with higher gusts. Some weakening is in the forecast in the next 48 hours. However, Iselle may still be a hurricane as it passes near or over the Big Island. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.

Tropical storm conditions are expected on the Big Island on Thursday with hurricane conditions Thursday night, according to forecasters. Tropical storm conditions are expected for portions of Maui County Thursday night. Tropical storm conditions are possible over Oahu Thursday night or Friday.

Swells generated by Iselle are expected to reach the main Hawaiian islands on Wednesday with large, damaging surf expected mainly along the east and south shores starting late Wednesday or Thursday.

Iselle is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 5 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum amounts to 12 inches. These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and rock and mud slides.

Right behind Iselle is Hurricane Julio. It is about 1,555 miles east of Hilo. It is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph. This general motion is expected to continue for the next 48 hours. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts. Julio could strengthen even more Wednesday night with some slow weakening starting on Friday.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center.

Stay with KITV4 News for the latest on both storms in the Pacific.
http://www.kitv.com/weather/hurricanes/iselle-heads-toward-hawaii-as-a-category-3/27319800#ixzz39fcmwUAR



. . thank you so much for your kind notes everyone . I appreciate it so much . . This is worth repeating . . "Iselle is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 5 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum amounts to 12 inches. These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and rock and mud slides" . . " Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts" . . . . The most important primary concern is for all our family and friends on Maui who live at sea level . . another of our primary concerns is heavy rain mudslides power outages . sea level surges . . etc. . . contemplating what is approaching us is so unreal . . at this moment it is a beautiful day in paradise . . the weather on Maui is warm with beautiful blue skies and a cool breeze . . so we'll see what happens tomorrow . . thank you for thinking of us . . . I'll keep you updated as I can Aloha . . .

Sharon Mau
1654HST
06 August 2014

Stay safe and be prepared Sharon. I as Michael am from South Louisiana and have survived 55 years of hurricanes. Then I moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and lost just about everything in Katrina. I hope that it dies down or makes a swift turn, just be safe...(plenty of bottled water!)

Be safe, Sharon. You will remain in our thoughts.

Kerri, you too are in our thoughts.

Stay safe Sharon!

I will be thinking of you and hope you are safe.

Praying for you and everyone there. Stay safe!

Aloha Sharon and Kerri, stay safe you two. We are keeping a close eye on the storms. We live on the West side of Maui and are hoping Iselle down grades before it hits. Julio looks to be heading north of the islands, which will be OK by me.

Sharon and Kerri, stay safe!

Stay safe!

. . Aloha everyone . . you are so sweet . . . . thank you so much for your kind wishes . I appreciate it so much :))) . . . it is almost 4 in the morning on Maui . . the breeze coming through my window is cool and sweet with the fragrance of flowers . . the rain has arrived . . . . . and so it begins . . . .

Watching the radar .... thanks for checking in.

Very good luck to you and all the other families affected by this.

http://www.google.org/publicalerts/alert?aid=7ccec3f44f0683f5&hl=en&gl=US&source=maps

Tropical Storm Warning in Hawaii

Active for next 2 hours, 57 minutes
Locations: Haleakala Summit; Kahoolawe; Lanai Makai; Lanai Mauka; Leeward Haleakala; Maui Central Valley; Maui Leeward West; Maui Windward West; Molokai Leeward; Molokai Windward; Windward Haleakala

Iselle still heading for the Big Island, maintaining Hurricane Intensity.

A Hurricane Warning continues for the Big Island.

A Hurricane Warning continues for waters around the Big Island.

A Tropical Storm Warning continues for Oahu, Molokai, Lanai. Kahoolawe, Maui.

A Tropical Storm Warning continues for waters around Oahu, Maui County waters, Pailolo channel and Alenuihaha channel.

A Tropical Storm Watch continues for Niihau, Kauai.

A Tropical Storm Watch continues for Kauai Northwest waters. Kauai Windward waters and Kauai leeward waters.

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for all of the Hawaiian Islands.

Storm information. At 11 pm Hst, the center of Hurricane Iselle was located near Latitude 18.1N, longitude 149.1W, or about 405 miles East-southeast of Hilo Hawaii about 615 miles East-southeast of Honolulu Hawaii. Hurricane Iselle is moving West-northwest at 18 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph.

Situation overview. Iselle is expected to bring heavy rains, high surf and damaging winds. Hurricane conditions are expected to develop on the Big Island of Hawaii Today. Tropical Storm conditions are expected to spread to Maui County tonight and to Oahu on Friday. Swells generated by Iselle will continue to build today, possibly becoming damaging along some coastlines. High Surf is expected to reach the islands ahead of the heavy rains and strong winds. The high surf may bring coastal flooding, particularly when combined with afternoon astronomical high tides. The threat of coastal flooding and property damage will be greatest on windward Big Island.

While there is still some uncertainty in the exact track and strength of Iselle, the Big Island and Maui are expected to be impacted first.

Precautionary/preparedness actions.

The next local statement will be issued around 6:30 am Hst, or sooner if conditions warrant.

Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect.

Precautionary/preparedness actions.

Winds, based on the latest forecast track, winds over 40 mph are expected to begin Overspreading the area tonight and continue through late Friday morning. In some areas, winds will be as high as 45 to 55 mph with gusts to 65 mph.

Gusts will be strongest over mountainous terrain, through passes, and where winds blow Downslope. Winds affecting the upper floors of High rise buildings will be significantly stronger than those near ground level.

Homes may have damage to shingles, siding, gutters and windows, especially if these items are not properly secured. Loose outdoor items will become airborne, causing additional damage and possible injury.

Some power lines will be knocked down by falling trees. Resulting in scattered power outages. Many large branches of trees will be snapped, and a few trees will be uprooted.

Storm Surge and storm tide. Surf will steadily increase along the exposed Windward coasts today, and reach hazardous levels later today. The surf will rapidly increase to near 15 feet today. The Astronomical high tide for Hana today is 1:42 pm At 2.7 feet and Friday is 2:18 pm At 2.9 feet. The high surf and high tide combination will bring the potential for coastal flooding along low lying areas.

Inland flooding.

A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for the entire area. Heavy rainfall of around 5 to 8 inches is expected with isolated rainfall totals of 12 inches. These Heavy Rains could lead to life threatening flash floods.

Recommended actions
For those under a warning, your preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion. In a tropical cyclone, conditions can change quickly. Evacuate if directed to do so by local officials, or if your home is vulnerable to high winds or flooding. Cancel any beach activities until further notice. Persons living near the shore should be prepared to evacuate quickly should building surf threaten.
For those under a watch, now is the time to prepare. Do not wait until it is too late. Stay calm and keep informed. Closely monitor NOAA weather radio or other local news outlets for official storm information. Listen for warnings or changes to the forecast.
It is vital that you do not focus on the exact forecast track. Forecast movement, direction, and speed are only estimates. Even small errors in the forecast track can mean major differences in where the worst conditions will occur. Damaging effects can extend far from the center.
Be Ready to evacuate if necessary. Heed the advice of local officials and comply with any orders that are issued. Persons living near the shore should be prepared to evacuate quickly should building surf threaten.
At ports, docks, and marinas, perform the prescribed preparations according to your emergency operations plan.
If you live on a boat, begin to safely secure your craft and make plans to leave it for adequate land based shelter.
Small Craft should return to port or seek Safe Harbor.


Flash Flood Watch in Hawaii
http://www.google.org/publicalerts/alert?aid=ab11d68a30c54b06&source=pa-sa&hl=en&gl=US
Active for next 2 days
Locations: Big Island Interior; Big Island ...
Posted 58 minutes ago – National Weather Service

Flash Flood Watch for the state of Hawaii.

Hurricane Iselle is expected to bring heavy rains to the islands. The threat for Flash flooding will begin later today on the Big Island and is expected to spread west across the remainder of the island chain tonight and Friday.

Flash Flood Watch remains in effect until 6 am Hst Saturday.

The Flash Flood Watch continues for.

All Hawaiian Islands.
Until 6 am Hst Saturday.
Rainfall amounts from 5 to 8 inches with locally up to 12 inches are expected on the Big Island and Maui County later today. Rain totals of 4 to 7 inches with locally higher amounts are forecast for Oahu and Kauai beginning tonight and early Friday.
In addition to possible flash flooding, excessive runoff may result in rock and mudslides in steep terrain.

. . . thank you so much everyone . . . gathering all my pets . . my two cats . two lovebirds and cockatoo . . thank you for your kind wishes . . signing off to get some sleep . . . it is 0430HST . . . hopefully we won't lose power . . . Aloha . . .

So far things here on Maui are OK. It's nearly 11am here. The winds are picking up a bit. But (here in Lahaina) no rain yet. We, my honey and I, will be heading home to Napili in a few hours. We'll be waiting out the storm there.

Good luck, guys. Hopefully these storms will be more bluff than bluster and they will weaken a lot by the time they hit.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Sharon.

Thanks for checking in Darice. Thoughts are will all of you today.

Here's a report of an earthquake on the Big Island - a 4.5 I believe:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-hawaii-braces-for-hurricane-iselle-with-julio-right-behind-20140806-story.html

Thanks for all the updates Sharon and Darice,,,,,I do not recall if you mentioned you have been in a Hurricane, I do know your animals will be affected by the barometric pressures, they do sense the threat more than humans well in advance of a hurricane, birds and wild animals will move more inland or flock to other islands,,,,,I did notice the storm does seem to be moving quite fast forward motion that is always a good factor, the faster forward motion, no one wants a slow moving storm and the terrain over the islands will reduce the actual speed slow it down..... also you have the terrain of the islands and that will sure cause some friction though, groups of islands it seems the surges will pose more a problem to all the resorts along the coast surrounding the big island.


The roar of the wind will be something you will not forget, it last for hours on end until the eye wall passes your location, then you have the backside effects from the storm, its always the east quadrant of most all hurricanes produces extreme rough weather, also the hurricane can produce or spawn tornados during height of the storm, ...I survived many hurricanes during the years, Betsey, Camille, Katrina and was in the formation of what was just a tropical storm from into a minimum hurricane offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, because of the rapid development of tropical storm Cindy years back the entire oil platform crew was left behind to ride the tropical storm turned Hurricane and ride it out...we were unable to be rescued off the platform...scientific data retrieved and actual wind speed monitors on the platform verified it was a hurricane not a tropical storm...formed just miles of my location in the Gulf of Mexico......a very unpleasant situation I will never forget......

Hopefully all the owners who own boats will not loose them, in most areas where hurricane strikes owners usual have options of moving there boats further inland from the shore,,,,there are not many options when it comes to tropical islands.....keeping everyone in my thoughts keep safe.....

Sharon, also avoid going near windows the slightest fragment flying through the air can be lethal......

Stay safe! Hope all turns out ok!

Sharon, also be careful after the storm has passed. I know from experience that weakened trees/branches can come down a few days after the storm is over.

The winds are picking up here in Lahaina. They closed Front Street a little while ago. It will soon be time to go home.

Sharon, I don't know if you'll get to read this sooner or later, but know that I've been thinking about you as these storms head your way. Stay safe, sweetie ... Darice ... wishing you all the best of luck during this as well. I'll be keeping you both and your families and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers.

Aloha everyone . . just popped in to touch base and say thank you for all your wonderful comments and kind wishes . . the winds are definitely cooler now . . the air smells gorgeous . . and it has been a gentle rain most of the day . . but now it is increasing . . . I've been battening down the hatch so to speak . . . securing our pets . . collectibles plants and breakables out on our lanai . . . essential laundry . . just in case our power goes out . . . . all those things which use power . . . . also recharging batteries . . most of us know we don't want to recharge camera and cell phone batteries until they need to so as not to reduce the life of the battery . . although yesterday evening I was out upcountry with my tripod shooting the sunset and perfect timing I would say for my camera battery indicator to begin blinking on long exposures . . so this morning I fully recharged my camera battery . . . I filled the Rio with a full tank of fuel . . we have all our essential food supplies and plenty water . . stocked up on some dry goods just in case we lose power and our refrigerator stops working . . we never really know what will happen when we have high winds and tropical storms with heavy rain . . especially with not one but two hurricanes which is unreal . . . So at the moment on Maui it is 1619HST and the skies are a white out . . . . I'll check back in with you when I can . . must attend to things here right now so signing off . . . Aloha everyone . . . thank you for thinking of us . our families and friends all around the world . . and here on the island . . stay safe . . we are worried about our family and friends who live along the shorelines all around the island . . . and I will definitely be thinking of all of you . . . . my situational awareness is keen . . always listening to everything . . . things are picking up now . . rain is increasing steadily moment by moment . . here we are at the moment of truth and I just hope all will be well when it is over . . . as we weather the storm let's all have faith that everything will be okay . . hopefully so . . it is a great adventure living on this beautiful island in the midst of the vast blue sea . . that much is certainly true :))) . . . Aloha . . . . ♥ . .

Remember not to drive through flooded roads. We lost the local art teacher in a hurricane years ago when she thought she could drive through a stream of water. Was swept way.

Stay safe Sharon.

--Roz Barron Abellera

. . morning everyone . . thank you so much . . . I am delighted to say we are perfectly fine . it is a gorgeous morning on the island . . power went out in the midst of the night for about an hour with no issues .. wind was a bit brisk at times with some gusts but it was never really strong where we live at a higher elevation on the western slopes of Haleakalā near Makawao . . mostly we are so blessed to have received some absolutely gorgeous rain . a long steady gentle downpour all day yesterday and into the night which was truly awesome . . and this morning the birds are singing and we have a beautiful double rainbow over the island . . ♥ . . when I awoke at 0645 it was such a delight to walk out onto the lanai . breathe in the fresh beautiful air . gaze up at the skies and see the lovely double rainbow over Kahului to Kihei . . as I was thinking what I would give to be up on the summit to get a panoramic shot of that . . . . sweet :)))))) . . Aloha . . . ♥ . .

stay safe, Sharon!

We made it through the storm here in Napili with very little issues. I don't think our power went out, but then again I slept through most of it. This morning the skies are very gray and the ocean is very choppy. About a half hour ago the winds completely died. Everything was dead calm except the birds, they were happily singing. Now the winds have picked back up a little. I'll check back in later.

Glad you both are safe, Sharon and Darice ... fingers crossed that the next one that's coming your way is as gentle.

. . thank you everyone so kind to post a comment here . . . . . the power went out earlier today . . and no power means no fans so our home became oppressive very quickly . . . it was cooler outside than it was inside . . so we went out for a drive . . everywhere we went the air so thick you can taste it . . considered the Haleakalā summit but at 10,000 feet the visibility was so low it would have been a waste of time and fuel . . so first to Pā'ia . then to Ho'okipa on the North Shore where I discovered much to my dismay the beach access gate was locked . . Kāpuka'ulua was locked as well . so we bypassed Kahului guessing we would encounter the same thing at Kanahā and instead drove around and over to Kīhei . . where we have many open access beaches along Kīhei Road yet any beach with a parking area was gated and padlocked . along with all the public facilities adjacent to them . . unbelievable . . . Kama'ole . . blocked . . . . Makena Landing . the beach was completely submerged . . . . . facilities and gates locked . . . Polo Beach . . we couldn't access it without a long walk . . . . all beaches with controlled access are gated and locked . Maui County employees out and about and road crew nearby . . . . when the parking areas are locked there is nowhere convenient to park the vehicle nearby and walk in . . . so that is where we turned and decided to go one of the nearby resorts to wander about . . . power was out there as well throughout the entire resort . . all the shoppes were dark . . the lobby area was truly uncomfortable and even though it is open air there was absolutely no air flow and far too warm . . the gardens were incredibly humid . . . and the Koi in the pond were hungry all clustered together in the water asking me for food . and I had nothing with me to offer them . . poor things . . so we decided to go . . there were a few tree branches down here and there but we really didn't see anything significant and so cannot understand the power outages . . we enjoyed a light lunch in Kīhei near the shave ice stand and decided to return home upcountry . . The skies are dark and heavy with billowing clouds in all shades of white and grey and the atmosphere is so incredibly humid dense and oppressive . it is completely different than it was this morning . . . it is evening now and the sun is setting but we cannot see it . . . . . Aloha . . .

. . latest update from NOAA
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/JULIO.php
At 5:00 PM HST, the center of
Hurricane Julio
was located at 18.9N 144.7W.
675 miles E of Hilo
740 miles E of Kailua-Kona
720 miles E of South Point
770 miles ESE of Kahului
825 miles ESE of Kaunakakai
805 miles ESE of Lanai City
870 miles ESE of Honolulu
965 miles ESE of Lihue
1015 miles ESE of Niihau

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/archive/2014/TCMCP4.EP102014.021.1408090234

HURRICANE JULIO ADVISORY NUMBER 21
Issued: 500 PM HST FRI AUG 08 2014
Hurricane Julio continues moving west northwestward far east of the Big Island
SUMMARY OF 500 PM HST...0300 UTC...INFORMATION
LOCATION: 18.9N 144.7W
ABOUT 680 MI: 1095 KM E OF HILO HAWAII
ABOUT 870 MI: 1405 KM E OF HONOLULU HAWAII
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS: 100 MPH: 155 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT: WNW OR 285 DEGREES AT 16 MPH: 26 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE: 970 MB or 28.65 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.

INTERESTS IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
PROGRESS OF JULIO.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
At 500 pm HST, 0300 UTC, the center of hurricane Julio was located near latitude 18.9 north, longitude 144.7 west. Julio is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph, 26 km/h, and this motion is expected to continue for the next 48 hours. On this forecast track, Julio is expected to pass about 200 miles northeast of the Big Island on Sunday. Remember that forecast movement, direction.and speed are only estimates.

Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph, 155 km/h, with higher gusts. Some gradual weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles, 55 km, from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles, 185 km.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 970 mb, 28.65 inches.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
None.

NEXT ADVISORY
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 PM HST.

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/archive/2014/WEB_TCPCP4.EP102014.021.1408090234.php

http://mauiwatch.com/downed-trees-cut-off-power-in-upcountry-maui-and-molokai/

Hello Sharon, I am glad you are safe, wow your description is exactly how the air feels after a hurricane, and the oppressing heat which follows when there is no electric.....did the state not issue a mandatory curfew usually after a storm, officials warn citizens to remain off the streets until advised the ok, expecially with no power.

From what I heard here in New Orleans the second storm should pass north of the big island is that correct. It may have more impact than the first hurricane.....stay safe. I am sure damage is minimum, but you had mentioned about the power, it may be damage at the main power plant or high voltage lines may be down......and or in some instances electric facilities shut power off prior to the storm to prevent any type of fires or such to the wires to homes and business.....

I did mention if you had an outdoor grill to use that outdoors and grill any food in the freezer. One of the last tropical storms here caused so much power damage most of the city had no electric for over a week, and that sensation of you can feel the air, it feels somewhat like being in a vacuum, ,,and the clouds hang very low......

I remember in the evenings when there was a complete black out neighbors would sit outside at night on the porches it was so hot inside.....and then now they have small generators to keep an ice box or a few lamps running, after the power goes off,,,,,quite a few home owners purchased generators to use and keep the icebox running things like that, and perhaps a lamp to read. and never use it indoors such as a car garage......because of carbon monoxide poisoning .. not a good idea since they are loud and most all I know run by gas.....

Thanks for checking in and your updates ladies - Sharon, Darice, and Karri ( did I miss anyone?). Keeping you and your families in prayer that Julio stays on course to miss the Islands. Hang in there! Sharon thanks for the link to the radar!

. . thank you so much for your replies everyone . . and interesting notes . . I am pleased to let you know Julio completely bypassed us and for that I am relieved . . . . although it is still humid and overcast everything is returning to normal now . . the light breeze is cool and it is so still and quiet . . peaceful . . . . enjoy your evening and thank you so much for all your wonderful comments . . . Aloha . . . .

We've been following the storms' progress here on the east coast, and are so so glad to be reading that now Julio is out of the picture and that all is well in your beautiful world again!!!!

I am happy for both you, Sharon, and all the inhabitants of all the islands.

I suggest it is now safe to bail out the skiff! :-)))

Good to hear !!! What a remarkable experience ... the storms of life ....

Glad to hear the good news Sharon and Darice and everyone on the islands will be spared any bad weather from the second strom, hopefully life can get back to normalcy. Thanks for keeping us posted throughout the storm hitting the islands......Have a great week!

. . it is so sweet for all of you to comment here and thank you so much for your kind wishes . . everything on Maui has returned to a relatively normal state of being . . The good news is that the barges have returned and restocked our supermarket shelves . . we experienced many food shortages when the barges were turned back . . amazing and really hard to believe or to consider I know but the islands are not self sufficient and we depend on the barges . If they ever stopped completely we would be in serious trouble . . Everyone doesn't have a farm considering our beautiful tropical climate it should be self sufficient yes . but it's not . . . . . . . we had completely empty shelves for several days of many dairy products and dry goods and many vegetables and fruits which are imported . . . there were some trees down and power outages . . . now everything is pretty much back to normal . . The winds were not too high and most of all we really loved the rain . . . . . thank you so much for thinking of us . . and yes . it was an amazing experience . . I believe the Big Island was impacted more than we were . . and it was truly a gift that hurricane Julio missed us for with the impact from hurricane Iselle already I feel the second one would have been devastating so we are blessed . . . The islands of Hawaii are located in one of the most ideal tropical locations on the planet . . . . one of the many reasons why we love our beautiful island home so much . . . Aloha . . ♥ . .

We were hit the hardest in Pahoa on the Big Island. The eye passed just below us and the hurricane stalled for hours on top of us. The first big gust came at 3pm and took out the power in our area as the first trees fell. In the middle of the night there was an explosion at the Geo-thermal plant. A neighbor said it sounded like a jet engine taking off for hours before it was contained. We had a Civil Defense message to evacuate or stay inside with the windows closed. After moving only 5 miles in 2 hours the eye finally came ashore at 3am and we still had hours to go. I live in an ancient rain forest and have giant 400 year old Ohia trees surrounding us. Something has started killing off the trees. Sadly, it was the live trees that fell. The dead ones stand like huge skeletons. I did not make it out for a couple of days due to my driveway blocked by a tree. I ended up pruning it enough it raised up and I could get my car under it. Then I was shocked to see how devastating it was. If lines weren't down on the ground they were holding up uprooted trees. It took a lot of time before they cut away enough trees to open up roads.

You can prepare and think you have enough done until they say we can be with out power 3-6 weeks. Which also means no running water. One tub full of water is only going to last about a week. I put new batteries in my flashlights and radio but realized they were not going to last that long. The radio was the only way to get any info as cell towers were damaged. I made the daily trips out and waited in line for ice and drinking water. It was so hot and humidity was over 70 percent it made anything that could mold, mold. The stores had nothing left. They were asking people on the other side of the island to bring the ice from their fridge, any batteries, buckets, tarps etc...and driving it over daily. Later they brought ice and water to the different subdivisions because there were so many that could not make it out from their homes.

After 8 days we were told to expect 2 more weeks for our street by the electric company. I came home late that night and saw street lights lit. And a real shock was to see homes on my street with lights on. I left home around noon and there were trees and lines down all over the place. I thought to myself they just need to start over. A neighbor with a bulldozer went out an cleared the rest of the trees himself. We all have cable for phone, internet and TV. I knew once we had power it would be a wait for them but somehow they got the lines working also. However, I see conveys of utility vehicles going home at 7pm and know I have neighbors just getting their power back since August 7th.

I was fortunate and feel more like really inconvenienced compared to those who lost homes, cars etc... Our ocean and tide pools have been damaged by man made items. They are contaminated with pesticides, building debris, appliances, cars. There was a 3' high tide and 25' waves at 3am. It took several homes but thankfully no lives.

Now we are in the news again as Lava makes its way close to us. It is different this time. It is flowing underground along cracks in the topography and is able to move a lot faster. Today it is 1.6 miles away from it's first subdivision. I have one of those cracks that runs along side of my property. Many think the fire goddess Pele is upset about the Geo-thermal plant and their expansion. We just happen to be located right in the middle of the two. They say they will give a 5 day notice to evacuate instead of hours. We have only one road to get out from. But if we feel lots of earthquakes leave right away. In 1960 the ground split open and took the town of Kapoho in days.