Hurricane Hone Sweeps Past Hawaii, Dumping Enough Rain To Ease Wildfire Fears

This satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Hone and Hurricane Gilma located southeast of Hawaii, Friday, Aug. 22, 2024. via Associated Press HONOLULU — Hurricane Hone passed just south of Hawaii on Sunday, dumping so much rain that the National Weather Service called off its red flag warnings that strong winds could lead to wildfires on the drier sides of the islands. “We’ve got quite a lot of flood damage, the gulches are running full speed ahead and they’re overflowing the bridges, so we’re trapped down here, we can’t get in or out,” Becker said Sunday. Shelters were opened as Hurricane Hone blew in and beach parks on the eastern side of the Big Island were closed due to dangerously high surf, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said. The state’s two power companies, Hawaiian Electric and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, were prepared to shut off power if necessary to reduce the chance that live, damaged power lines could start fires, but they later said the safety measures would not be necessary as Hone blew past the islands.