One quick question: Since when did we refer to the state as the Big Island and the “smaller islands”?
The smaller islands?
That strange reference to the other main islands, including Oahu, Maui, and Kauai, along with Lanai and Molokai, has crept into reporting on Hurricane Iselle. Search online and you’ll see it parroted in lots of news stories.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen that particular reference before.
I’m guessing that it was picked up from early National Weather Service updates and then regurgitated by local media without editing. But that’s just a guess.
Of course, the back-to-back storms heading our way were the main topic of conversation as we ran into friends and neighbors during our early morning walk to the beach in Kaaawa.
“Are you ready?”
Everyone’s anxious, most only modestly prepared. Key items, like bottled water, were sold out in most places by the time our friends got around to shopping for emergency supplies.
And those with beachfront homes are unsure of what to expect. This is relatively uncharted territory.
Today we’ll be watching what happens on the Big Island today. UH Hilo has a list of campus webcams that can be used to check conditions, and another website, MyBeachCams.com, provides links to several webcams along the Kona side.
If you’ve got other good spots for checking conditions on Hawaii Island and Maui, share them here.
And good luck, everyone!
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Worst, absolutely, weather reporting in my 48 yrs on the scene.
Agree, Hugh. Just awful. I only want to know two things: When will the storm get to Maui and how high are the gusts. Try find um! Cannot!
9:15 p.m. in Hilo Mauka.
We have had some limited rain and only a slight breeze. But the National Weather Service’s current forecast for our area is straightforward:
“Frequent showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 76. Strong and damaging winds, with an east wind 60 to 70 mph becoming southeast 37 to 47 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 100 mph.”
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Hilo&state=HI&site=HFO&textField1=19.6962&textField2=-155.087&e=0#.U-R3u-flfOc
It’s 9:30 pm KITV is doing a special on the storm and interviewing Abercrombie. He keeps repeating how “we” have been planing for events like this for the past four years. Always the politician.
Jim, Hugh: I would suggest that you are looking in the wrong place for this kind of information and have unrealistic expectations. The press is not going to have up to date or precise information. If you want the latest and greatest, you should be going to the National Weather service or the Pacific Disaster Center web sites. Even then, you are only going to get the latest FORECAST which is the best estimate at the time. So, if you are looking to set your alarm for when the high winds are going to hit, you are going to be disappointed. So get real and think about the past when you learned about the hurricane as you looked out your window and saw the leaves getting stripped off the palm trees.
As evening fell, hours after when forecasters predicted the “HURRICANE” would hit, it was six MPH in Hilo and a light drizzle.
When the storm reached landfall it was no longer a hurricane, as always has been the case in my 48 years of residency .
In summary: overblown, exaggerated and inaccurate. It left the impression we were in dire straights from my contacts from Florida to southeast and northwest.
Credibility shot
You sound disappointed that it struck south of you instead of running right over your _ for some odd reason.
Did you bother to check the forecast updates or did you go on one hours old? Did you know it slowed down to 7 mph? Cracks me up you blame the forecasters for what nature threw at them.
Hurricane (>73 mph) Isell weakened to a strong tropical storm – 70 MPH winds – a whole 3 miles an hour under a hurricane…. wow, man they sure were wrong! It just disappeared right off the radar when it stopped being a hurricane, didn’t it?
Computer modeling for something out of their control (nature) isn’t perfect and they use more than one model to try to come to a consensus on the forecast – which they update continually, if warranted like this tropical cyclone.
If you don’t appreciate the work they do, fine. Go to sleep next time.
You are right, I do not appreciate the (bad) work. Adopt a fresh computer model that includes the obvious impact of the giant sentinels —Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Even Mayor Carlisle recognizes these.
Yup, it is all a fabrication. Filmed in a special sound stage in Burbank and supported by the folks who manufacture bottled water, toilet paper and batteries.