HONOLULU (KHON2) — Emergency management agencies across Hawaiʻi are gearing up for potentially dangerous weather as a Kona low is expected to bring heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and thunderstorms statewide over the next several days.
Flood watch in effect statewide leaves state preparing
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service say the slow-moving system could begin impacting the islands Saturday night, with conditions persisting through midweek or later.
“This is one of our main weather-makers in Hawaiʻi,” said Patrick Blood, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “Kona lows are slow-moving systems that draw very rich, moist air from the south. Once that moisture gets lifted over the mountains, it can produce heavy rainfall for days.”
Blood says some areas could see one to two inches of rain per day, and possibly more in localized bursts — a major concern since soils and streams are already saturated from previous rainfall…