David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – The National Weather Service today issued tropical storm warnings for Maui County and the island of Hawaii as Hurricane Olivia continues its slow advance toward the Hawaiian Islands.

A tropical storm warning means sustained winds within the range of 39 to 73 miles per hour are expected within the next 36 hours. Oahu remains under a tropical storm watch, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. No weather advisories have been issued for Kauai.

As of 11:00 a.m. HST, the center of Olivia was approximately 435 miles east-northeast of Hilo on the island of Hawaii, 475 miles east of Hana on Maui, and 595 miles east of Honolulu on Oahu. Olivia has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour and is moving west at 9 miles per hour.

Although Olivia continues to be a category 1 hurricane, the National Weather Service is forecasting it will be weakened as the storm moves closer to the Hawaiian Islands due to increased wind shear. Olivia’s weather impacts are currently forecast to begin affecting Hawaii late Tuesday, September 11.

Weather impacts from Olivia are projected to initially affect northeast and east shores throughout the Hawaiian Islands. This could include very strong winds, high surf conditions and storm surge along shorelines, and heavy rainfall with the potential for flash flooding.

The windward sides of Maui and the island of Hawaii should anticipate potential rainfall of 10-15 inches with some isolated areas possibly receiving up to 20 inches. Oahu and Kauai could also be affected depending on the track Olivia follows over the next 24 to 36 hours. Under the current forecast, all islands are susceptible to the threat of continuous high winds for 12 hours or more.

George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said, “Being prepared and staying safe needs to be everyone’s top priority these next couple of days. Whether Olivia is a hurricane or a tropical storm is irrelevant as the potential for dangerously high winds and torrential rainfall are threats statewide. Until Olivia has passed, stay off the roads and close to your homes, hotels or accommodations and follow the advice of civil defense officials and Hawaii’s news media.”

“To Hawaii’s visitors, please listen to our airline, hotel and tourism industry professionals. They are well-trained for handling situations involving severe weather and do an excellent job of looking out for and taking care of our guests.”

Residents and visitors are strongly advised to be prepared for Olivia. This includes having access to an adequate supply of food, water, medications and essential goods. Everyone is strongly encouraged to follow the instructions of Hawaii’s civil defense officials and to not take any risks that would put them in danger from Olivia while the storm is completing its pass of the Hawaiian Islands.

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.

HTA has a special Alert page about Olivia on its website and is posting updates as new information becomes available. Also included on the Alert page are links to resources with helpful information to keep residents and visitors updated about Olivia and how to be prepared.

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 preparing for its onset, and coping with weather impacts.

Weather Information
Up-to-date online information on the trek of 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 as it pertains 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).

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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]