Moke Has Weakened to a Tropical Depression

Moke has weakened to a tropical depression, but will bring impacts to Hawaii.

As of 11 p.m. HST (5 a.m. EDT), Tropical Depression Moke was located near 15.3N, 158.6W, or about 380 miles southwest of Hilo, Hawaii. Moke has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it moves to the west at 13 mph. Its central pressure is 29.65 inches, or 1004 mb.

Moke will hold steady in wind strength the next few days as it moves 300 or so miles south of Hawaii. Moke will continue moving towards the west, shifting to a west-northwest direction by this afternoon.

Moke will continue to bring breezy winds to the Big Island. Sustained winds of 20 to 25 mph are anticipated with gusts nearing 35 to 40 mph today. In addition, heavy rain is still expected. Peak rain amounts of 1 to 3 inches have already fallen across the eastern side of the island, with an additional 3 to 6 inches expected. This will bring storm totals of 4 to 9 inches of rain. There is still a concern for flash flooding and mudslides due to the drenched soils after Lala dumped over 20 inches of rain on the island. Power outages are likely due to heavy rain and windy conditions.

As a result, a Flood Watch has been issued for the Big Island.

The rest of the Hawaiian Islands will experience impacts related to Moke too. Eastern Maui will see rain totals of 3 to 6 inches while the rest of the islands will mostly see 1 to 2 inches. Even with these totals, localized flooding and mudslides will still be a threat through today thanks to the saturated ground from Lala.

Elsewhere, eastern Maui will likely see 3 to 6 inches of rain while western Maui and the remainder of the islands may see 1 to 2 inches of rain. Eastern Maui will see flash flooding and mudslide threats as it saw intense heavy rain from Lala. Breezy winds of 15 to 25 mph are anticipated for the island chain, as well as peak gusts of 30 to 35 mph.

Residents as well as visitors to the Hawaiian Islands should take extra precautions and remain informed on evacuation routes and even backup routes in case the preferred route is blocked. Non-perishable foods and clean water, as well as an electricity source to charge necessary electronics, will be very helpful in case the power goes out.