Hawaii fire death toll nears 100, anger grows

LAHAINA - The death toll in Hawaii from the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century was expected to cross the 100-mark Sunday, fueling criticism that an inadequate official response contributed to the heavy loss of life.

Officials updated the toll to 93 late Saturday, but warned the figure was likely to rise as recovery crews with cadaver dogs continued the grim task of searching burned out homes and vehicles in the epicenter of Lahaina.

The historic coastal town on the island of Maui was almost completely destroyed by the fast-moving inferno early Wednesday morning, with survivors saying there had been no warnings.

When asked Sunday why none of the island's sirens had been activated, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono said she would wait for the results of an investigation announced by the state's attorney general.

"I'm not going to make any excuses for this tragedy," Hirono, a Democrat, told CNN's "State of the Union."

"We are really focused, as far as I'm concerned, on the need for rescue, and, sadly, the location of more bodies."

More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed as the fire tore through Lahaina, according to official estimates, wreaking $5.5 billion in damage and leaving thousands homeless.

"The remains we're finding are from a fire that melted metal," said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. "When we pick up the remains... they fall apart."

Among the ruins in Lahaina, a town of more than 12,000 and former home of the Hawaiian royal family, an iconic, 150-year-old banyan tree remained standing but severely burned, AFP journalists saw.

President Joe Biden said on Sunday he was "looking at" the possibility of visiting the island.

- Questions over alert system -

The wildfire is the deadliest in the United States since 1918, when 453 people died in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to the non-profit research group the National Fire Protection Association.

The death toll surpassed 2018's Camp Fire in California, which virtually wiped the small town of Paradise off the map and killed 86 people.

Maui suffered numerous power outages during the crisis, preventing many residents from receiving emergency alerts on their cell phones.

No emergency sirens were sounded, and many Lahaina residents have spoken of learning about the blaze because of neighbors running down the street.

"The mountain behind us caught on fire and nobody told us jack," resident Vilma Reed, 63, told AFP.

"You know when we found that there was a fire? When it was across the street from us."

Reed, whose house was destroyed by the blaze, said she was depending on handouts and the kindness of strangers, while sleeping in a car with her daughter, grandson and two cats.

In its emergency management plan last year, the State of Hawaii described the risk wildfires posed to people as being "low".

Some residents who fled the flames have also expressed anger at a roadblock put up preventing them from returning to their homes.

Maui police said members of the public would not be allowed into Lahaina while safety assessments and searches were ongoing -- even some of those who could prove they lived there.

Some residents waited for hours hoping to be allowed in to comb through the ashes or look for missing pets or loved ones.

When asked about growing anger at the response, Hirono told CNN she understood the frustration because "we are in a period of shock and loss."

Maui's fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest.

Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. Scientists say human-caused global warming is exacerbating natural hazards, making them both more likely and more deadly.

Agence France-Presse

Hawaii declares state of emergency after rains cause floods

Hawaii Governor David Ige declared an emergency in the US state after heavy rains brought floods, landslides and fear of dam failures, prompting evacuations in at least 2 counties, while flood advisories stayed in effect for a second day.

The move came after a dam overflowed on the island of Maui, forcing evacuations and destroying homes, with the dam's "unsatisfactory" condition leading to it being scheduled for removal this year, the land department has said.

"The emergency proclamation makes state general funds available that can be used quickly and efficiently to help those impacted by the severe weather," Ige said on Tuesday.

Poor weather was expected to run until Friday, he added. There were no immediate reports of deaths or casualties.

The emergency declaration covers the counties of Hawai'i, Maui, Kalawao, O'ahu and Kaua'i, the governor's office said in a statement, while the disaster relief period runs until May 8.

In Maui, heavy rains damaged roads, leaving them impassable, with one bridge completely washed out and another displaced, the governor's office said, as higher water levels boosted the risk of erosion and seepage.

State emergency management officials had said the rains led to the cresting of the Kaupakalua dam in the northern region of Haiku, prompting authorities to open evacuation shelters and urge people not to return home.

Six homes were heavily damaged or destroyed, said Maui mayor Michael Victorino.

-reuters-

As pandemic kicks mass tourism, islands seek to mend ties with nature

WASHINGTON - Since coronavirus emptied Hawaii of tourists, seals have been lounging on beaches, fish are swimming closer to shore and the turquoise water of the US islands' famous Hanauma Bay is 55 percent clearer, one marine biologist said.

The pandemic has been devastating economically for Hawaii, whose $18-billion tourism industry employs more than 200,000 people, or about a third of the workforce. It is among the US states with the highest unemployment rate since March.

But the absence of thousands of visitors a day has been a boon for fisheries, coral reefs and other aspects of the fragile island ecosystem that has become degraded by too much tourism and climate change.

As islands around the world grapple with similar challenges, some authorities see the pandemic as an opportunity for change. Before they open the floodgates to mass tourism again, some are questioning how much they want to go back to that model.

"The path we were on prior to COVID wasn't sustainable," said Celeste Connors, executive director of Hawaii Green Growth, one of several U.N. hubs set up around the world to advance sustainable development locally.

"The numbers of tourists that were coming were actually taking a toll on the community and environmental resources," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Hawaii has not yet set a date for reopening to tourists, nor has it announced any plans to limit visitors. But officials said they do want to make a shift, and coronavirus may accelerate it.

"If we can move away from the mass, sort of industrial way tourism has been done and get into a more community and connected type of tourism, I think that's where Hawaii can really shine," said Kalani Kaanaana, director of cultural affairs and natural resources at the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

The pandemic could help small-scale tourism offerings thrive because they will be less risky for disease transmission than large resorts and attractions, he added.

GREEN RECOVERY

Many island destinations, including Hawaii, were already discussing how to make tourism more sustainable before the novel coronavirus swept around the world this year.

Popular spots from the Philippines to the Faroe Islands have briefly closed to visitors in recent years, to allow their ecosystems to recover. But none could have imagined the months-long closure coronavirus has imposed.

Scientists at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology are doing surveys of water quality and wildlife, and are observing changes they have never seen before, said Kuulei Rodgers, principal investigator for the Coral Reef Ecology Lab.

The work could allow them to monitor for the first time just how big an impact tourism has on the local ecosystem.

"There's hope that if we can establish a baseline from what we learn now, we have an argument for trying to preserve that," said Kevin Chang, the head of KUA, an organization advocating for community-based natural resource management in Hawaii.

KUA has compiled a list of dozens of ideas for a green post-pandemic recovery, such as using federal stimulus funds to create a conservation corps and making some tourist sites accessible only with guides to create jobs and limit capacity.

These have been shared with the state government, which has yet to put forward a recovery plan.

In the South Pacific, the Cook Islands were already planning a re-branding that would emphasize environmental stewardship.

Coronavirus offers a good chance to make that transition, said Metua Vaiimene, the government's director of destination development.

"We have resolved to use this opportunity to reset and refresh our tourism industry," Vaiimene told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

But not all islands feel the same.

"I think what COVID-19 is doing is shaking things up enough that change is possible in places that want to do that," said Kate Brown, executive director of the Global Island Partnership, an alliance spearheaded by island leaders.

"Some will just go back to business as usual," Brown said.

BACK TO FARMING

In some places, the shift away from mass tourism may be out of necessity rather than choice.

On the Philippines island of Siargao, farmers quit the fields to become tour guides when visitor numbers surged about three years ago, said Alfredo Coro, vice mayor of the city of Del Carmen.

Siargao was voted best island in the world in a poll by Condé Nast Traveler magazine last year.

But since coronavirus hit, the government has encouraged people to return to farming, and many are doing so, Coro said. The state has provided seeds and is buying up locally grown rice to distribute it back to the population.

"When they moved to tourism, it was good for their income, but what happened was we became import-dependent," he said. "I think (the people) are starting to see what we have been preaching all along."

Coro hopes that when tourism resumes, some islanders will continue farming because they recognize the value of it, if only for keeping their families fed during a disaster.

Similarly, some Hawaiians are turning back to fishing since the onset of the pandemic, said Mac Poepoe, a native fisherman and community leader on the island of Molokai.

"Now everybody wants to learn how to hunt, they want to learn how to catch fish," Poepoe said.

Molokai has resisted tourism for years and its residents rely largely on subsistence fishing and farming.

It has been less affected by the coronavirus crisis than other islands, Poepoe said, although statistics show that many Molokai residents already lived in poverty.

"I think it sheds a lot of light on the reality that maybe we should get back to the land and manage (it) properly so that we can take care of our people, rather than rely on outside sources," he said. 

-Nellie Peyton, Thomson Reuters Foundation-

'Is that Bruno Mars?': 'Idol' judges send Fil-Am singer Francisco Martin to Top 20

Filipino-American singer Francisco Martin received a standing ovation from “American Idol” judges as he performed before them in Hawaii for a spot in the Top 20.

During the show’s Sunday episode (Monday morning in Manila), Martin chose to sing the new Harry Styles hit “Falling” for the Showcase Round.

Compared with his last performance, Martin owned the stage this time, showing no signs of nervousness, while playing the guitar and singing his heart out.

After his song, the judges were up on their feet, with Luke Bryan even jumping up and down in his seat.

“I don’t really recognize who you are anymore, especially what you did last night, and that’s a good thing,” Katy Perry told Martin, as the judges talked to the contestants individually about their fate the following day.

Lionel Richie agreed, saying: “When the girls screamed, did you see what he turned into? I don’t even think he sang for a moment. He just kinda sat there and took it all in.”

Martin’s performance even prompted Perry to liken him to another popular Filipino-American artist.

“I was like, is that Bruno Mars? I like it,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Bryan said he’s proud how Martin is “figuring out how to be a real artist, somebody that you naturally root for.”

“You check every box. I have a feeling that great things are just going to happen to you in this experience. You’re just a wonderful talent,” he said.

It was at that point when Bryan told Martin that he made it to the Top 20 after they have decided to send him through to the next round.

Watch how Martin impressed the judges with his performance 


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2 killed in shooting at Pearl Harbor base days before Japanese attack anniversary

LOS ANGELES - A US sailor fatally shot two people and wounded a third at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii on Wednesday before taking his own life, a senior Navy officer said.

The base was locked down for more than an hour after the shooting, according to a statement issued by the facility, while Navy officials said they were investigating what prompted the attack.

"I can confirm that there were three shooting victims. We have confirmed that two are deceased, one is in stable condition in a local hospital," said Rear Admiral Robert Chadwick.

He added that the shooter -- "tentatively" identified as a sailor assigned to the USS Columbia, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine -- had also died after "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."

One witness told local media he was sitting at his computer when he heard shots fired and rushed to the window, where he saw three victims on the ground.

The witness, who did not want to be identified, said he then saw the gunman, who was wearing a sailor's uniform, shoot himself in the head.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said that US President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting and was monitoring the situation.

Hawaii governor David Ige tweeted that the "White House has reached out to offer assistance from federal agencies, and the state is standing by to assist where necessary."

"I join in solidarity with the people of Hawaii as we express our heartbreak over this tragedy and concern for those affected by the shooting," Ige wrote.


Pearl Harbor anniversary

The shooting took place at 2:30 pm local time near the south entrance of the sprawling base located on the southern shore of Oahu.

The base hosts both the Navy and Air Force.

It unfolded three days before the 78th anniversary of the 1941 Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that left more than 2,400 US service members dead.

The worst shooting in Hawaii history took place just over 20 years ago when a Xerox employee killed seven of his colleagues.

While gun violence is common in the United States, shootings at American military facilities in the country are relatively rare.

In July 2015, Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez carried out an attack at two military installations in the US state of Tennessee that killed four Marines and a sailor, with the FBI concluding that the violence was inspired by a "foreign terrorist group."

Two years earlier, Aaron Alexis killed 12 people and wounded eight others at the Washington Navy Yard, just two miles (three kilometers) from the US Capitol building, before being shot dead by officers. 

Four years before that, Major Nidal Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others at Fort Hood.

He was considered a "lone wolf" who supported terror network Al-Qaeda. 

In 2016, the Pentagon softened rules on US troops carrying firearms while at government facilities in response to a series of deadly attacks on uniformed personnel.

Troops already carried weapons as part of certain job functions, but the new rules permitted commanders to authorize the carrying of privately owned handguns.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Air Canada flight diverted to Hawaii after turbulence, minor injuries reported

MONTREAL, Canada—An Air Canada flight was diverted on Thursday to Hawaii after a sudden case of severe turbulence left 35 customers with minor injuries, the carrier said in a statement.

Flight AC33, carrying 269 passengers and 15 crew, was flying from Vancouver to Sydney, Australia, when the Boeing 777 aircraft "encountered unforecasted and sudden turbulence approximately 2 hours past Hawaii," the carrier said.

The plane was diverted to Honolulu and landed at 12:45 pm EST.

"As a precaution, medical personnel are on standby to examine passengers in Honolulu," the carrier said.

The carrier's initial reports were of 25 people with minor injuries.

A case of severe turbulence in June on a flight from Kosovo to France was captured on video, showing a flight attendant hitting the ceiling and another praying.

In another case, 29 people were injured after a Turkish Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on its approach to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in March.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Alert level raised for Hawaii volcano due to rumbles, quakes

The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii has been hit by at least 50 small earthquakes since October of last year, scientists said on Tuesday, prompting U.S. geologists to raise its alert level to yellow.

An eruption of Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, did not appear to be imminent. The increased seismic activity indicated a shift in the "shallow magma storage system" under the mountain, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) said in an advisory.

"As has happened before, it is possible that current low-level unrest will continue and vary in intensity for many months, or even years without an eruption," the observatory said. "It is also possible that the current unrest is an early precursor to an eventual eruption. At this time, we cannot determine which of these possibilities is more likely."

Yellow is the second level on the Hawaii Volcano Observatory's color-coded alert chart, above green, which is used to indicate "background, non-eruptive state." Orange signifies a volcano exhibiting "heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption." The highest alert level, red, indicates that an eruption is imminent.

"HVO expects that days or weeks prior to an eruption, monitoring instruments will detect signs of an increased potential for eruption," the observatory said. "However, it is also possible that the time frame to eruption could be shorter - hours to days. All communities on the flanks of the volcano should be prepared."

The last episode of volcanic activity in Hawaii was a destructive eruption of lava last summer from a series of fissures that opened at the foot of Kilauea Volcano, also on the Big Island.

Kilauea spewed rivers of molten rock that swallowed hundreds of homes before creeping several miles (km) to the ocean, ultimately engulfing two seaside housing developments there.

The property losses from the May-to-August event marked the most destructive eruption event of Kilauea or any other volcano in Hawaii's recorded history.

Mauna Loa, which takes up more than half of the Big Island, and rises 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above the Pacific Ocean, last erupted in March and April of 1984, sending a flow of lava within 5 miles (8.05 km) of the city of Hilo. The volcano has produced voluminous flows of lava that have reached the ocean at least eight times since 1868, and twice its eruptions have destroyed villages, in 1926 and 1950.

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9 dead as plane crashes in Hawaii, believed during skydiving trip

Nine passengers and crew were killed on Friday night when their plane crashed near an airfield in Hawaii, authorities said, during what broadcaster CNN said was a skydiving trip.

The twin-engine King Air plane went down near the Dillingham Airfield, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) said. The fire service said the aircraft was engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived and there appeared to be no survivors.

"We are still gathering information as to the intent of the flight and what they were doing," Honolulu Fire Department Chief Manuel Neves told a news conference.

CNN said the plane was on a skydiving excursion and that Federal Aviation Administration would investigate the crash.

Dillingham is a joint-use airfield operated by the HDOT under a 25-year lease from the U.S. army, according to its website.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Divers spot giant white shark off Hawaii coast

LOS ANGELES, United States - An enormous great white shark -- believed to be one of the biggest on record -- has been spotted off the coast of Hawaii by divers who took a swim with the predator.

The 20-foot (six-meter) female shark -- bearing similar markings as "Deep Blue," the largest great white shark recorded -- made its surprise appearance on Tuesday, joining other sharks feasting on a sperm whale carcass off Oahu.

"We saw a few (tiger sharks) and then she came up and all the other sharks split, and she started brushing up against the boat," said Ocean Ramsey, one of the divers, recounting the extraordinary encounter to the Honolulu Star Adviser.

"She was just this big beautiful gentle giant wanting to use our boat as a scratching post," added Ramsey, who swam with the shark all day and captured stunning pictures. "We went out at sunrise, and she stayed with us pretty much throughout the day."

Ramsey said the animal, believed to be at least 50 years old and weighing an estimated 2.5 tonnes, was "shockingly wide" and may be pregnant.

Sightings of great white sharks are rare in Hawaii, where the water is too warm.

"Deep Blue," which has her own Twitter account and was the subject of a documentary several years ago, had previously been spotted around Guadalupe Island off Mexico.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fallen Fil-Am soldier’s heroism remembered

The family of a Filipino-American soldier who died from injuries from an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Afghanistan paid tribute to his heroism.

Sergeant First Class Reymund Transfiguracion spent his last time with his parents and five brothers last Christmas.

The 36-year old highly-decorated Special Forces Green Beret died on August 12 from wounds he suffered after an IED blast while conducting a dismounted nighttime raid in Afghanistan. 

His older brother Reydez spoke exclusively to Balitang America just two days after his brother’s body arrived back home in the island of Hawaii.

Reydez said they learned a little bit more about his humble, brave and heroic younger brother. 

“According to the person who was close to him during that moment, he said to the wife and he said something to us that he saved a lot and we didn’t even know cause he’s so quiet he doesn’t tell us what he does. That’s why he got two purple hearts, we didn’t even know,” he said.

Scott Smith, a brother of one of Transfiguracion’s teammates who set up a GoFundMe page for the late soldier's wife and two young children, tells Balitang America a similar story. 

He said he learned that Transfiguracion, who was on his fourth deployment, saved many people the night he was injured. 

Reydez said he remembers one particular time that truly defines what kind of man his brother was. 

“My truck broke down and I was the only truck up in the mountain. If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, I was stuck 12,000 feet up, about 5:30 in the evening. And I called him, and he was like I’m coming bro, don’t worry I got your back. And that’s just the way he is. He always finds a way. He never quits on you.”

Born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, Transfiguracion moved to the big island with his family in 2001. He will be laid to rest on September 7 at West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense said the incident is still under investigation.

Read more on Balitang America:

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Hurricane Lane brings severe flooding to Hawaii's Big Island

HONOLULU - Hurricane Lane churned closer toward the heart of the Hawaiian islands on Friday as it weakened into a Category 2 storm while still lashing the Big Island with raging surf, torrential rains, and catastrophic flooding, weather officials said.

The storm, with sustained winds topping 100 miles (161 km) per hour, was forecast to make its nearest approach to land just west of the island chain over the weekend, bringing hurricane conditions to Maui and the U.S. state's most populous island, Oahu, starting Friday night.

Farther north, a tropical storm watch was posted for the island of Kauai.

"If you're in Hawaii, it's critical that you heed the warnings of local officials and stay aware of your surroundings," Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long wrote on Twitter.

By Friday morning, more than 2 feet (60 cm) of rain had fallen in a 36-hour period on the Big Island's windward side, where the National Weather Service reported "catastrophic flooding" and wind gusts peaking at 67 mph (108 kph).

A number of structures on the island of Hawaii, popularly known as the Big Island, were destroyed and some residents were reported to be fleeing their homes, said Melissa Dye, a Weather Service spokeswoman in Honolulu.

Fire department personnel have conducted several rescues of people stranded by high water on the Big Island since Thursday, mostly around its biggest city, Hilo, said Kelly Wooten, a Hawaii County civil defense spokeswoman.

Overnight, the National Guard and fire department rescued 6 people and their dog, and 2 hikers were rescued by helicopter near the camping destination of Waimanu Valley, Wooten said. There were no injuries.

She said 2 Hilo-area neighborhoods were evacuated.

'READY TO LEAVE'

Flash flooding and mudslides on the Big Island have forced a number of road closures, and Governor David Ige urged residents to avoid any unnecessary travel.

On Oahu, where 70 percent of Hawaii's 1.4 million residents live, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told the Weather Channel that the city has moved its emergency-response equipment to higher ground for the time being.

He said Honolulu, the state's capital and largest city, is especially vulnerable to floods and landslides because it is partly ringed by mountains.

"We have asked our residents in these areas where they know it floods to be ready to leave," Caldwell said, adding that 1,100 people were staying in emergency shelters throughout the city.

Evacuations were also under way on parts of Molokai and Maui islands.

In Maui, a fast-growing wildfire forced the evacuation of homes and an emergency shelter set up for the storm in Lahaina, where no rain was yet falling, officials said. One woman was hospitalized with burns. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Besides upheaval for hundreds of thousands of residents living in low-lying flood-prone areas, the storm has spoiled vacation plans throughout the islands.

Australian tourist Nicole Paterson, 27, said she was forced to cancel a birthday outing to snorkel with sea turtles along Oahu's North Shore on Friday, and a visit to the Disney resort in Ko Olina.

While Lane was downgraded on Friday to Category 2 on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson scale, it still packed maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (170 kph), the weather service said.

As of 11 a.m. Hawaii time (5 p.m. EDT/2100 GMT), Lane was moving north at 5 mph (8 kph) and was about 150 miles (245 km) south of Honolulu, the weather service said. It was forecast to turn west on Saturday, lose more of its punch and move more quickly.

The latest predictions from the weather service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center show the eye of the storm glancing past Maui and several other islands on Friday on its way toward Oahu.

In addition to "life-threatening and damaging surf," the weather service has warned that storm surges could raise water levels 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) above normal along the western shores of the Big Island.

Governor Ige has urged residents to set aside a 14-day supply of water, food, and medicine. All public schools, University of Hawaii campuses and nonessential government offices on the islands of Oahu and Kauai were closed at least through Friday.

All harbors have been ordered closed to incoming vessels, and the U.S. Navy moved most of its fleet out of Pearl Harbor, where ships could provide aid after the storm.

Oil company Par Pacific Holdings Inc said it had shut down its 93,500 barrel-per-day refinery in Kapolei. - with additional reporting by Diane Craft in Kailua, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Makini Brice in Washington, Alex Dobzinskis in Los Angeles and Gabriella Borter in New York

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Things are going to break': Hawaii braces for Hurricane Lane

Torrential rains pummeled Hawaii on Friday as Hurricane Lane swirled toward the island state, triggering landslides, "catastrophic" flooding and prompting stark warnings from authorities. 

In its 1200 GMT bulletin, the Honolulu-based branch of the National Weather Service said the now Category Three hurricane was packing winds in excess of 120 miles per hour (195 kilometers per hour).

Currently located some 200 miles south of the state capital Honolulu, Hurricane Lane's center was forecast to track over or "dangerously close" to parts of the main Hawaiian islands later Friday and into the night.

Brock Long, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), warned of major disruptions to the power grid. 

"Citizens need to realize that we are looking at major hurricane impacts and things are going to break," Long said.

"We need to set the expectation that the power could go off for quite some time and the infrastructure is going to be heavily impacted."

The archipelago's Big Island has already been deluged with "catastrophic flooding," the NWS said. 

Over two feet of rain have fallen at several locations on the windward side of the Big Island, the National Hurricane Center said, with 30 to 40 inches possible over some areas throughout the state.

Emergency teams have set up 16 evacuation centers, with a further 19 due to open later as President Donald Trump, who has declared a state of emergency, urged Hawaiians to hunker down and prepare for the worst.

"Our teams are closely coordinating with the state and local authorities. You are in our thoughts!" Trump tweeted.

Some 1,500 residents have already sought shelter in temporary evacuation centers, mainly in and around Honolulu, said Brad Kieserman, vice president of Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the American Red Cross.

"I definitely expect to see an increase in population as the storm continues to approach," he added.

- 'Panic mode' -
Residents across the state stocked up on water, food, gasoline and emergency supplies as Lane drew nearer.

"Last couple of days it's been like this -- it's been busy," said Chris, an employee at a gas station in Haleiwa, on the north shore of Oahu island -- the location of the capital Honolulu.

"We have been just constantly getting cars filling up. Everybody is in a panic mode right now -- everyone is filling up gas, gas cans, propane cans and all that."

Sea levels were expected to rise as much as two to four feet above normal tide levels, causing coastal erosion and prompting a storm surge and "large and destructive waves," forecasters said.

Surfers could be seen taking advantage of the calm before the storm to get out on their boards one last time before the ocean got too violent.

- Flights canceled -
United Airlines said it canceled all Friday flights to and from Kahului airport on Maui, the second-largest island.

The US Coast Guard said 57,000 US military personnel already stationed in Hawaii were ready to provide logistical and medical support or conduct search and rescue missions operations. 

"Hurricane Lane is not a well-behaved hurricane," Governor David Ige said in a statement as he declared a state of emergency Tuesday on the Big Island. 

"I've not seen such dramatic changes in the forecast track as I've seen with this storm."

Hurricanes rarely make landfall in Hawaii and the last major storm to strike the state was nearly three decades ago, when Hurricane Iniki barreled into the island of Kauai, leaving six dead and causing billions of dollars in damage.

Federal officials have been working with Hawaiian utility managers to keep a close eye on the power grid, a major vulnerability in Puerto Rico last year when it was hit by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm.

Hurricane-related deaths in Puerto Rico have been estimated at as many as 4,600 people, largely because prolonged and widespread power outages and washed out roads prevented access to health care, US researchers said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hurricane Lane threatens direct hit on Hawaii

HONOLULU - Hurricane Lane, threatening a direct hit as Hawaii's worst storm in a quarter century, on Thursday churned toward Oahu, the island with the largest population, as schools, government offices and business closed and residents stocked up on supplies and boarded up homes.

Packing sustained winds of up to 130 miles per hour (215 km per hour), Lane could dump as much as 20 inches of rain, triggering flash floods and landslides, the National Weather Service said.

"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the National Weather Service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu said in its latest advisory.

As of early Thursday, Lane was centered about 230 miles (370 km) south-southwest of Kailua-Kona, a town on the west coast of the Big Island, the NWS said. It was classified as a powerful Category 4 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane strength.

The NWS said the storm weakened slightly overnight but excessive rainfall would affect the Hawaiian islands into the weekend, "leading to significant and life-threatening flash flooding and landslides."

The center also warned of "very large and damaging surf" along exposed west- and south-facing shorelines.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Oahu, Maui County and Hawaii County. The islands of Kauai and Niihau remained on hurricane watch and could face similar conditions starting Friday morning.

Governor David Ige urged residents to take the threat seriously and prepare for the worst by setting aside a 14-day supply of water, food and medicines.

All public schools, University of Hawaii campuses and nonessential government offices on the islands of Oahu and Kauai will be closed for at least two days starting on Thursday, Ige said Wednesday.

The shelves of a downtown Honolulu Walmart were stripped of items ranging from canned tuna to dog food as well as bottled water and coolers full of ice after warnings of possible power outages.

"I went to Safeway last night for regular groceries. Everyone was in a panic," said Thao Nguyen, 35, an employee at a Honolulu branch of Hawaiian shirt retailer Roberta Oaks.

Long lines of cars formed at gasoline stations in Honolulu and people pulled small boats from the water ahead of the expected storm surge. U.S. Navy ships and submarines based in Hawaii were instructed to leave port, a common practice when a hurricane approaches to avoid damage.

President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for Hawaii and ordered federal authorities to help supplement state and local responses, the White House said on Thursday.

The most powerful hurricane on record to hit Hawaii was Category 4 Iniki, which made landfall on Kauai island on Sept. 11, 1992, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It killed six people and damaged or destroyed more than 14,000 homes. 

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Hurricane Hector barrels towards Hawaii

Hurricane Hector regained strength in the eastern Pacific late on Sunday and swelled into a Category 4 storm again with sustained 140 mph winds as it stayed on target to possibly hit Hawaii by midweek, officials said.

Some predictions put the storm on a virtual collision course with the Kilauea Volcano on the southern part of the island. Lava has been spewing from vents on its eastern flank since May 3 and its summit crater is collapsing.

The National Hurricane Center put Hector about 1,130 miles southeast of Hawaii's Big Island and its hurricane force winds stretched 30 miles out from its center with tropical force winds of 74 mph extending out 105 miles, the NHC said.

It was expected to pick up speed from its 14 mph westward crawl into the central Pacific on Monday, the center said in an advisory late on Sunday.

The NHC forecast gradual weakening on Monday night through to Wednesday.

It was uncertain if it would hit or just brush by the southern edge of the Big Island, said a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park Maryland.

Scientists differ over how hurricanes and volcanoes might interact, including the question of whether low atmospheric pressure could help trigger an eruption.

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Lava flow stalls, sparing Hawaii geothermal plant from more damage

HONOLULU - A lava flow from Hawaii's erupting Kilauea volcano that damaged a geothermal power station has stalled, as have lava fountains gushing 100 feet (30 meters) into the air, offering momentary relief to an area under siege for 25 days, officials said on Monday.

Even so, new blasts from the crater sent ash plumes billowing as high as 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) into the sky, and a new fissure was pumping out lava at a rate of three feet (1 meter) per second, geologists said.

The new fissure sent more lava into the to evacuated Leilani Estates district in the eastern corner of Hawaii's Big Island.

Because the lava was spread out over a wide area, the frontier of the flow was only moving at about three feet per second, Carolyn Parcheta, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said in a video message posted online.

Lava engulfed the heads of two wells that tap into steam and gas deep in the Earth's core at the 38-megawatt Puna Geothermal Venture on Saturday. Its operator, Israeli-controlled Ormat Technologies Inc, said it had not been able to assess the damage.

Residents fear the wells may be explosive. Officials have said the power plant is safe but lava has never engulfed a geothermal plant anywhere in the world, leaving a measure of uncertainty.

The lava flow at PGV stalled on Monday, Hawaii County spokeswoman Janet Snyder said.

Ormat said the plant represented about 4.5 percent of its total generating capacity and that major damage or a shutdown could have an "adverse impact" on the company's business.

Authorities have shut down the plant, removed 60,000 gallons (230,000 liters) of flammable liquid, and deactivated the wells.

At least 82 homes have been destroyed in the southeast corner of Big Island and about 2,000 people have been ordered evacuated since Kilauea began erupting on May 3.

About 2,200 acres (890 hectares) have been scorched and the eruptions are expected to cut tourism revenues.

The sole reported serious injury from the eruption so far came when a man was hit by flying lava.

An eruption from the summit's Halemaumau crater on Monday sent ash almost 15,000 feet (4,600 m) into the air, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. Hawaii County officials later cut the estimated height to 13,000 feet.

Magma has drained from Kilauea's summit lava lake and flowed around 25 miles (40 km) east underground, bursting out of about two dozen giant cracks or fissures. 

(Reporting by Joyln Rosa in Honolulu; Additional reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Tom Brown)

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Hawaii street swallowed by 'lava tide' as more homes burn

PAHOA, Hawaii - A rising tide of lava turned a Hawaii street into a smoking volcanic wasteland on Friday, destroying at least eight homes as residents stood on the road and watched their houses burn.

The destructive fury of the erupting Kilauea volcano has been unleashed on the Big Island's Leilani Estates housing development, with the number of homes and other structures destroyed jumping to 82 from a previous count of 50 only a few days ago, according to David Mace, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Some 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) of land - about half the size of Florida's Disney World resort - have been torched by lava since May 3, in what is likely to be the most destructive eruption of Kilauea in over a century, according to the County of Hawaii.

"There were eight houses taken on this road in 12 hours," said Ikaika Marzo in a Facebook video as he stood on Kaupuli Street and showed a black, glass-like lava field where his cousin's house previously stood.

Where there were once houses and tropical back gardens in Leilani Estates, magma spews from 100-foot-high (30-meter-high) cinder cones and forms elevated ponds of molten rock that cascade over their banks to engulf the next street.

"It's this tide of lava that rises up and overflows itself on the edges and keeps rising and progressing forward," said U.S. Geological Survey geologist Wendy Stovall told journalists on a conference call.

Around 37 structures are "lava locked," meaning homes are inaccessible, and people who do not evacuate them may be hemmed in by 30-foot-high (9-meter-high) walls of lava.

Magma is draining underground from a sinking lava lake at Kilauea's 4,091-foot (1,247-meter) summit before flowing around 25 miles (40 km) east and bursting from giant cracks, with two flows reaching the ocean just over three miles (4.83 km) distant.

Stovall declined to comment on lava volume being emitted. Marzo said he was told by a USGS geologist there was much more to come from Kilauea.

"What has been coming out is just a small fraction of what was in the volcano," he said he was told.

Though lava destruction from the volcano is confined to a roughly 10-square-mile (26-sq-km) area, the eruption is hurting the island's tourist-driven economy as potential visitors fear ashfall or volcanic smog belching from Kilauea's summit.

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake at the volcano's summit on Friday prompted County of Hawaii Civil Defense to reassure the island's 200,000 residents that there was no risk of a tsunami.

Year-to date 2018 visitor numbers to the Connecticut-sized island are "trending a little bit lower" than 2017, with the cancellation of some port visits by cruise ships expected to have a $3 million impact, said Ross Birch, head of the island's tourism board on a conference call. 

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Huge fissure opens on Hawaiian volcano; some defy evacuation order

PAHOA, Hawaii - A massive new fissure opened on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, hurling bursts of rock and magma with an ear-piercing screech on Sunday as it threatened nearby homes and prompted authorities to order new evacuations.

The fissure, a vivid gouge of magma with smoke pouring out both ends, was the 17th to open on the volcano since it began erupting on May 3. Some 37 buildings have been destroyed and nearly 2,000 people ordered to evacuate in the past 10 days.

Seen from a helicopter, the crack appeared to be about 1,000 feet (300 meters) long and among the largest of those fracturing the side of Kilauea, a 4,000-foot-high (1,200-meters) volcano with a lake of lava at its summit.

"It is a near-constant roar akin to a full-throttle 747 interspersed with deafening, earth-shattering explosions that hurtle 100-pound (45-kg) lava bombs 100 feet (30 meters) into the air," said Mark Clawson, 64, who lives uphill from the latest fissure and so far is defying an evacuation order.

Closer to the summit, in the evacuated Leilani Estates neighborhood of about 1,500 people, explosions could be heard in the distance as steam rose from cracks in the roads. The bulging rim of one fissure wrecked a building, leaving behind torn metal.

In areas where sulfur dioxide emissions were strong, the vegetation turned brown and leafless trees withered.

The U.S. Geological Survey warned that fissures could erupt throughout the area, and Civil Defense officials on Sunday ordered people living on Halekamahina Road to evacuate and be on the alert for gas emissions and lava spatter.

Meanwhile, other fissures continued to billow smoke over homes on the eastern point of the Big Island of Hawaii, the largest of the Hawaiian islands.

Even so, some people such as Clawson remained in their homes, confident they would be spared.

"We are keeping track of lava bombs. One went through the lanai (porch) roof of a neighbor's house," Clawson said. About eight to 10 neighbors had yet to evacuate, he said.

The Hawaii National Guard is warning people in the coastal Lower Puna area to prepare to leave, saying anyone who chooses to stay behind cannot count on being rescued. An evacuation has not been ordered there but might be if a local highway is cut off.

"We've been telling them, 'Evacuate if you can, because if we have to come in and get you we'll be putting first responders at risk'," Major Jeff Hickman told reporters. "There's a point where we'll tell our first responders, 'Nope, you can't go'."

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Hawaii braces for worse lava flows from erupting volcano

PAHOA, Hawaii - More destructive lava flows could soon hit Hawaii’s Big Island as the Kilauea volcano erupts, posing a greater threat than oozing magma that has so far destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands to evacuate, scientists said on Friday.

As a lava lake at Kilauea's summit drains inside the volcano, magma is running underground. It could burst to the surface as large, fast-moving and intensely hot lava flows and produce higher levels of toxic gases, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge Tina Neal said.

"What will take a turn for the worse in terms of hazard is if hotter, fresher magma makes it to the surface, and that could be what is coming," Neal told a conference call. "Once a new batch of hotter, gassier magma makes it to the surface we might see larger, higher eruption rates."

Fifteen large cracks or fissures have opened on the eastern flank of Kilauea since the volcano erupted eight days ago. The volcanic vents have oozed relatively cool, sluggish magma left over from a similar event in 1955. Fresher magma could now emerge behind it.

In addition, Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, threatens to begin a series of explosive eruptions within days or weeks that could form huge clouds of volcanic smog, or vog, and hurl boulders as big as small cars.

Geologists expect new lava outbreaks in or around the hard-hit Leilani Estates area in the southeastern Puna district, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Hilo, where 27 homes have been destroyed and all 1,900 residents have been evacuated.

Local residents got a text message alert at 11 a.m. warning them they could have little or no time to evacuate in the event of future eruptions.

"I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE"

Ron Peters, 59, knew it was time to leave his home in the Opihikao community, 2.6 miles from Leilani Estates, when fruit trees and other vegetation began to die in the rotten-egg-smelling clouds of sulfur-dioxide gas.

"When you start seeing ferns go brown overnight, it's like, 'Wow, I gotta get out of here,'" said Peters, sitting at a Red Cross evacuation center at a sports center in nearby Pahoa.

His wife refused to leave and stayed to care for their dogs and chickens.

He went back for her on Thursday, fearing she and the animals would be dead. One of the dogs was having trouble moving but his wife was still alive. He set his chickens free.

"The gas fumes were just too much," he said, sitting at a baseball diamond with his dogs tied beside him.

While locals contend with lava and gas on the ground, explosions at Kilauea's summit some 25 miles (40 km) to the west were dusting communities with ash that irritated eyes and breathing.

Volcanic smog may be blowing hundreds of miles from Kilauea, with people on the streets of state capital Honolulu, around 210 miles (340 km) northwest on the island of Oahu, complaining it was "very voggy" on Friday.

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Hawaii volcano lava destroys dozens of homes, more threatened

More than two dozen homes have been destroyed and dozens more are threatened by red-hot lava seeping from the Kilauea volcano, the most active in Hawaii, civil defense officials said.

Evacuation orders remained in place Monday for hundreds of residents of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens areas in the eastern part of Hawaii's Big Island.

Hawaii's Civil Defense Agency, in its latest update, said 26 homes have been destroyed by lava oozing up from fissures in the ground.

Aerial footage showed orange streams of lava snaking through the Leilani Estates neighborhood, covering streets and igniting small fires. 

Residents of Leilani Estates were allowed to return to their homes on Sunday between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm to check on their properties and remove belongings.

But residents were warned to be ready to flee at a moment's notice.

"Because of unstable conditions that involve toxic gas, earthquakes and lava activities, lines of safety can change at any time," the Civil Defense Agency said.

"The high levels of sulfur dioxide are a threat to all who become exposed," it said.

'Spirit of ALOHA is alive'

Among those who lost their homes was Amber Makuakane.

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the 37-year-old elementary school teacher and single mother of two young children.

As of Monday morning, more than $29,000 had been raised for Makuakane, whose parents also live in the Leilani Estates area and have also been forced to flee their home.

Makuakane thanked the donors on the page saying "my heart is full of gratitude for each and everyone of you."

"It is true that the spirit of ALOHA is alive and well," she said.

Aloha is a traditional Hawaiian greeting that also conveys love. 

Ten fissures in the ground have opened up so far, according to the Civil Defense Agency, spewing out lava and hazardous fumes.

Lava fountains have been observed spouting as high as 230 feet (70 meters) into the air.

Kilauea, which rises to 4,091 feet (1,247 meters), began erupting Thursday afternoon. 

A magnitude 5 earthquake under Kilauea's south flank preceded an initial eruption and there have been several severe aftershocks since then.

A quake Friday was measured at magnitude 6.9, the most powerful to hit the islands since 1975.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said satellites had detected a gradual sinking of ground around the volcano summit in the two weeks before the first quake.

Kilauea -- which according to Hawaiian folklore is home to Pele, the volcano goddess -- saw nearly continuous activity during the 19th century.

It is one of five currently active volcanoes on the archipelago's Big Island.

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New fissures open up near Hawaiian volcano as danger persists

LEILANI ESTATES, US - The Kilauea volcano, the most active in Hawaii, was highly unstable Sunday as lava spouted into the air and fissures emitted deadly gases -- hazards that have forced thousands of people to evacuate.

Eight fissures have opened so far, the most recent one late Saturday, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported at 9:40 GMT on Sunday.

All are in or near Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens areas, where over 1,500 residents were ordered to evacuate.

The observatory, part of the US Geological Survey (USGS), said new crevices were spotted on Sunday morning but "no heat or escaping steam" was detected.

While lava continued to erupt intermittently in the Leilani Estates area -- with red-hot lava fountains sometimes spouting 230 feet (70 meters) into the air -- other eruptions have ceased.

But highly toxic sulfur dioxide gas pouring from some fissures continued to contribute to "extremely dangerous" conditions.

"The high levels of sulfur dioxide are a threat to all who become exposed," the Hawaii County Civil Defense office said in an alert.

That office reported Saturday that five houses have been destroyed. It said in a Facebook posting that "eruptive activity is increasing and is expected to continue."

The office cautioned Hawaiians to be patient. "Please understand the unpredictability of these hazards," it said.

Officials at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, scene of a mandatory evacuation order Friday, were assessing roads and trails on Sunday as they weighed whether to reopen.

Civil defense administrator Talmadge Magno told the Honolulu Star Advertiser that some residents of the evacuated subdivisions might be allowed to return briefly to their homes to tend to animals and collect important papers. But, he cautioned, "We are pretty sure we are not done."

The area has suffered several severe shocks since Thursday, when a magnitude 5 earthquake under Kilauea's south flank set off an initial eruption. A quake Friday was measured at magnitude 6.9, the most powerful to hit the islands since 1975.

In a 48-hour period, experts detected 152 quakes of magnitude 2 to 3 and 22 of magnitude 3 within three miles (five kilometers) of the volcano's crater.

The observatory said satellites had detected a gradual sinking of ground around the volcano summit in the two weeks before the first quake.

It said the surface of a lava lake in the Overlook crater had dropped 518 feet (128 meters) below the crater rim since April 30.

Kilauea, which rises to 4,091 feet (1,247 meters), began erupting Thursday afternoon local time.

Kilauea -- which according to Hawaiian folklore is home to Pele, the volcano goddess -- saw nearly continuous activity during the 19th century. It is one of five currently active volcanoes on Hawaii Island, sometimes known as the archipelago's Big Island.

"Kilauea ranks among the world's most active volcanoes," according to the USGS, "and may even top the list."

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