Hawaii on high alert as Hurricane Nolo closes in on islands
Portions of the Big Island could see locally more than a foot of rain.
Millions of Hawaii residents are on alert this weekend as Hurricane Nolo slowly makes its way to the islands, bringing heavy rain and high winds.
As of Saturday morning, Nolo was a Category 2 storm with winds up to 105 mph and was located south of the Big Island. It is nearly stationary and centered about 145 miles south of South Point, Hawaii.
It's expected to become a stronger hurricane and make a westward turn, with the center staying well south of Hawaii.
This will help greatly reduce wind and surge impact. However, heavy rain is still expected, especially for parts of the Big Island and Maui.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Big Island, and a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Maui.
Tropical storm conditions picked up Saturday with gusts 50-75mph possible along with bands of heavy rain.
Portions of the Big Island could see locally more than a foot of rain, in some spots up to 16 inches in the higher elevations, and this could cause catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides.
The worst of the conditions will be later Saturday.