David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Tropical Storm Olivia is making its slow advance through the Hawaiian Islands today, with the current onset of high winds and heavy rainfall on Maui County and Oahu being the biggest threats to people and property.

Over the past 36 hours, Olivia has proven to be erratic and unpredictable as it nears the Hawaiian Islands. With the storm’s latest shift in direction overnight toward Maui County and Oahu, the National Weather Service has canceled the tropical storm warning for the island of Hawaii and Kauai.

All of the Hawaiian Islands continue to be under a flash flood watch through Thursday, meaning conditions are favorable for flash flooding in flood-prone areas. As such, state and county civil defense officials are strongly encouraging all residents and visitors statewide to continue monitoring Olivia and its impacts on the weather until the storm has completed its pass of the islands.

According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, as of 11:00 a.m. HST, Olivia had maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour and was moving west at 15 miles per hour. The center of Olivia, where tropical force winds and rainfall are at their strongest, was located 40 miles west of Kahului on Maui and 60 miles east-southeast of Honolulu on Oahu.

George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said, “Today, residents and visitors of Maui County and Oahu are urged to stay safe, stay indoors and stay informed at all times by monitoring civil defense reports and Hawaii’s news media. Don’t be complacent about Olivia and don’t take anything about the weather for granted. Listen to the experts and follow their advice.”

High winds of 30 to 45 miles per hour, with gusts up to 65 miles per hour, are possible throughout today on Maui County and Oahu. In addition, total rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, with isolated areas receiving up to 15 inches, is possible. The National Weather Service cautions the heaviest rainfall could continue for 6 to 12 hours after the high winds subside.

Residents and visitors of Maui County and Oahu are advised to shelter in place and have access to an adequate supply of food, water, medications and essential goods until Olivia completes its pass.

For visitors currently in Hawaii or with confirmed trips to anywhere in the Hawaiian Islands in the coming weeks, HTA advises them to stay informed about Olivia and to contact their airlines, accommodations and activity providers to see if adjustments to travel plans are needed.

To help keep residents and visitors informed, HTA has a special Alert page about Olivia on its website and is posting updates as new information becomes available. Included are links to resources for weather information, alerts posted by the State of Hawaii and four island counties, closures of parks, airline travel waivers, and news releases pertinent to Olivia.

HTA’s Alert page for Olivia can be accessed from its home page or by clicking on the link below.

https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/news/alerts/

Following are links to resources about Olivia, being prepared for its onset, and coping with weather impacts.

Weather Information
Up-to-date information about Olivia is available at the following:
National Weather Service Forecast: www.weather.gov/hawaii
Central Pacific Hurricane Center: www.weather.gov/cphc
Hurricane Preparedness: https://www.facebook.com/PrepareNOWHI/

County Alerts
Up-to-date information about Olivia’s impact to Hawaii’s four island counties is available at the following websites:
County of Hawaii: https://bit.ly/1wymub3
County of Honolulu: https://bit.ly/2MV0pFa
County of Kauai: https://bit.ly/2NXDmWZ
County of Maui: https://bit.ly/2NnELZT

Media Updates
Hawaii’s news media does an excellent job providing reliable, accurate and timely information about severe weather in Hawaii. Visit the following Hawaii media outlets for updated information about Olivia:
Honolulu Star-Advertiser: www.staradvertiser.com
Hawaii News Now: www.hawaiinewsnow.com
KHON: www.khon2.com
KITV: www.kitv.com

Travelers planning a trip to the Hawaiian Islands who have questions can contact the Hawaii Tourism United States Call Center at 1-800-GOHAWAII (1-800-464-2924).

###

About the Hawaii Tourism Authority
The Hawaii Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawaii’s marketing initiatives to support tourism. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawaii, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the community and visitor industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawaii’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure the sustainability of tourism’s success.

For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates about HTA on Facebook, Twitter (@HawaiiHTA) and its YouTube Channel.

Media Contacts:

Charlene Chan
Director of Communications
Hawaii Tourism Authority
808-973-2272 (o)
808-781-7733 (m)
[email protected]

Patrick Dugan
Anthology Marketing Group
(808) 539-3411 (o)
(808) 741-2712 (m)
[email protected]