Costco Hawaii Kai shoppers wiped out 21 pallets of water in 20 minutes just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.

So one woman emptied the vending machine, buying all the bottled water, a clerk said.

A Costco employee promised more water would be available today.

At Yamashiro Building Supply in Kaneohe, several patrons were buying plywood for the first time.

Sharon Sakai, 71, of Kaneohe purchased plastic sheeting and two 4-by-8-foot boards, “in case I need it for picture windows and skylights.”

“Thought about getting it in the past, but this time I thought I should have it on hand,” she said, adding that her son would be putting it up. “Hopefully, we won’t need it.”

But she wasn’t sure how to secure it to her windows. “We’ll tackle it when the time comes,” she said.

Renter Eli Ponimoi, 34, was sizing up the price for half-inch plywood and decided to go with the three-eighths-inch.

“They say anytime there’s an emergency, you should get it. Plywood? That’s too hard for me to do. If you’re not strong enough, you have to use tape and pray.”

She said the flooding during the April 13 rain event at her grandmother’s Aina Haina home taught her to be prepared for anything.

“We got everything else at home,” she said. “Since the April 13 flood, we tried to stock up. It doesn’t have to be a hurricane. Everything’s flooded when the stream gets backed up.”

A 60-year-old Kaneohe man bought hurricane clips for his 50-plus-year-old house, which wasn’t 100 percent secured.

Paul Wilson of Laie, with his wife and five children at Costco, piled high a shopping cart and a flatbed cart with six cases of water, peanut butter, tuna, nuts, refried beans and toilet paper.

“We don’t want our children to go hungry,” he said. They were prepared for two weeks. “If it hits, which we hope it doesn’t, we have a lot of little mouths.”

Micah Torres, 30, of Kaneohe said he tried to go to the City Mill in Kaneohe, but “you can’t get in and out of the horseshoe,” referring to the parking lot, and Kahuhipa Street fronting the store was backed up in both directions.

He, like several others, lined up to fill their propane tanks at Yamashiro’s, which sold 2,700 gallons of propane by 4 p.m. Tuesday. It sold out of crank-operated radios and propane canisters used for stoves. Sand and sandbags were going fast.

Judy Texeira, 76, of Kaneohe said, “I’ve never seen this store so crowded,” and wondered whether it was having a big sale.

She was planning a getaway Thursday to Kauai. “Does it mean we should cancel?”

TIME TO PREPARE: GETTING READY FOR THE STORM

Q: What is a hurricane or tropical storm watch?

A hurricane or tropical storm watch means that hurricane or tropical storm conditions of high winds, wind-driven rain and storm surge are possible, usually within 48 hours. Think of a watch as a reminder to prepare. When a watch is issued, residents should:
• Fuel your vehicle and maintain the level at full or no less than a half-tank.
• Prepare to protect windows and doors with plywood boards (minimum five-eighths-inch thick), storm shutters or other types of hurricane-resistant window protection.
• Prepare a 14-day emergency kit (see list at right).
• Be sure that loose outdoor items such as garbage cans, lawn chairs and tables, garden tools, hanging plants, etc. are stored or secured.

Q: What is a hurricane or tropical storm warning?

A hurricane or tropical storm warning means that hurricane or tropical storm conditions of high winds and storm surge are possible, usually within 36 hours. Think of a warning as an alert to take action.

A flood advisory means flooding is occurring or imminent. The advisory may be upgraded to a flash flood warning if flooding worsens and poses a threat to life and property. Closely monitor local TV and radio for more information.

A flash flood watch means heavy rain leading to flash flooding is possible. A watch may be issued up to 12 hours before flash flooding is expected to begin, and could last as long as 48 hours. Continue to closely monitor local TV and radio for more information.

This means that flash flooding is occurring or will develop quickly somewhere within the designated area. Take shelter or evacuate to high ground immediately, especially if you reside in a flood-prone area or near streams and rivers.

Do not drive through flooded areas in your vehicle. Water may be deeper than it appears.

Closely monitor local TV and radio for more information on flooded areas and public shelters that may be open for evacuees.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.</s>HONOLULU — As emergency shelters opened, rain began to pour and cellphone alerts went out, the approaching hurricane started to feel real for Hawaii residents.

Hurricane Lane was forecast to continue its northwest turn into the islands Thursday, which would make it the most powerful storm to hit Hawaii since Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

"Everyone is starting to buckle down at this point," said Christyl Nagao of Kauai. "Our families are here. We have businesses and this and that. You just have to man your fort and hold on tight."

Officials opened shelters on the Big Island and on the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai on Wednesday. They urged those needing to use the Molokai shelter to get there soon because of concerns the main highway on the south coast of the island could become impassable.

On the island of Oahu, which was put on a hurricane warning late Wednesday, shelters were scheduled to open Thursday. Officials were also working to help Hawaii's sizeable homeless population, many of whom live near beaches and streams that could flood.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Tom Travis said there's not enough shelter space statewide and advised those who are not in flood zones to stay home.

Officials warned the limited shelter space should be a "last resort" and aren't designed to withstand winds greater than about 40 mph (64.3 kph).

"Whenever possible, the public should plan to shelter in place or stay with family or friends in homes outside of these hazard areas that were designed, built, or renovated to withstand anticipated conditions," the city and county of Honolulu said in a news release.

Hurricanes are ranked 1 to 5 according to what is known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricane Lane is at category 4, which means winds from 130 to 156 mph (251 kph).

The Big Island was already starting to see Lane's first effects, Gov. David Ige said at a news conference Wednesday.

A look at the cone representing the possible tracks Hurricane Lane could take as it approaches Hawaii. The times are in Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time. (Credit: NOAA)

The hurricane's outer rain bands were bringing showers to some parts of the island, said Matt Foster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The eastern side of the island picked up nearly 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) of rain in three hours, Foster said.

Melanie Davis, who lives in a suburb outside Honolulu, said she was gathering canned food and baby formula.

"We're getting some bags of rice and of course, some Spam," she said of the canned lunch meat that's popular in Hawaii.

She was organizing important documents into a folder — birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, insurance paperwork — and making sure her three children, all under 4, have flotation devices such as swimming vests — "just in case."

Public schools were closed for the rest of the week and local government workers were told to stay home unless they're essential employees.

Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier said Lane may drop to a Category 3 by Thursday afternoon but that would still be a major hurricane.

"We expect it to gradually weaken as it gets closer to the islands," Chevalier said. "That being said, on our current forecast, as of the afternoon on Thursday, we still have it as a major hurricane."

The central Pacific gets fewer hurricanes than other regions, with about only four or five named storms a year. Hawaii rarely gets hit. The last major storm to hit was Iniki in 1992. Others have come close in recent years.

"We're planning on boarding up all our windows and sliding doors," Napua Puaoi of Wailuku, Maui, said after buying plywood from Home Depot. "As soon as my husband comes home — he has all the power tools."

"When it did happen, I just remember, pandemonium, it was all out craziness," she said.

Unlike Florida or Texas, where residents can get in their cars and drive hundreds of miles to safety, people in Hawaii are confined to the islands.

Instead, they must stay put and make sure they have enough supplies to outlast prolonged power outages and other potential emergencies.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has several barges with food, water and supplies that it moved into the region ahead of Hurricane Hector, which skirted past the islands more than a week ago, according to FEMA Administrator Brock Long.

The U.S. Navy was moving its ships and submarines out of Hawaii. All vessels not currently undergoing maintenance were being positioned to help respond after the storm, if needed.

Associated Press journalists Mark Thiessen and Dan Joling in Anchorage, Alaska, and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii residents rushed to stores to stock up on bottled water, ramen, toilet paper and other supplies as they faced the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and high surf as a hurricane churned toward the state.

The National Weather Service said Wednesday that Hurricane Lane had weakened to a Category 4 hurricane, but those hurricanes with winds of more than 130 mph (209 kph) or above can still cause catastrophic damage.

More weakening was predicted, but the weather service said that “Lane is forecast to remain a dangerous hurricane as it draws closer to the Hawaiian Islands.”

The hurricane was about 465 miles (804 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu before dawn Wednesday and The National Weather Service extended a hurricane warning for Hawaii’s Big Island to include the island of Maui.

Meteorologist Melissa Dye shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday said the hurricane was 320 miles (515 kilometers) southeast of Hilo and moving north-northwest at about 9 mph (15 kph).

“We are starting to see some of the rain show up on the Big Island radar,” she said. Offshore buoys also had detected wave action associated with the storm.

The weather service in a special statement said tropical-storm-force winds could begin as early as Wednesday afternoon or evening on the Big Island.

A hurricane watch remained in effect for Oahu and other smaller islands, meaning tropical storm-force winds, excessive rain and large swells could arrive starting Wednesday.

“It is much too early to confidently determine which, if any, of the main Hawaiian islands will be directly impacted by Lane,” the weather service said.

But the hurricane center said the storm will move very close to or over the islands from Thursday through Saturday. Even if the center of Lane doesn’t make landfall, the islands could be walloped with rain and wind.

Public schools on the Big Island and in Maui County are closed Wednesday until further notice.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige is allowing non-essential state employees on the Big Island and Maui to go on administrative leave from Wednesday to Friday as Hurricane Lane approaches. Employees on Hawaii and Maui islands who work in disaster response as well as in hospitals and prisons are required to report to their jobs, the governor said.

Longtime Hawaii residents recalled a devastating 1992 hurricane as they prepared for Hurricane Lane.

Kauai resident Mike Miranda was 12 when Hurricane Iniki devastated the island 26 years ago. “A lot of people are comparing the similarities between Iniki and Lane,” he said.

Iniki’s turn into the islands was sudden, he recalled.

“I remember how very little rain fell. But I remember the wind being the strongest force of nature I’ve ever witnessed and probably the scariest sounds I’ve ever heard in my life,” he said.

Utility poles were down all over the island, and his 7th-grade classes were held in Army tents for several months.

Miranda said his family is used to preparing for hurricane season.

“A lot of people who moved here and never experienced a hurricane . they’re the ones rushing to the store,” he said.</s>Residents of Hawaii on Wednesday braced for a powerful hurricane bearing down on the US state, with warnings issued in several counties in the island chain.

President Donald Trump, in a tweet, urged residents to prepare for Hurricane Lane, which is expected to bring torrential rains, high winds and dangerous surf.

"Everyone in the path of #HurricaneLane please prepare yourselves, heed the advice of State and local officials, and follow @NWSHonolulu for updates. Be safe!," he said.

Lane weakened slightly overnight to a Category 4 storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.

The National Weather Service said a hurricane warning has been issued for Maui County and Hawaii County while a hurricane watch was in effect in Kauai and Oahu.

"The center of Lane will move very close to or over the main Hawaiian Islands from Thursday through Saturday," it said.

It added that though Lane is forecast to weaken in the next 48 hours it will remain a dangerous hurricane as it nears the Hawaiian Islands.

"Lane is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 15 inches with isolated amounts greater than 20 inches over the Hawaiian Islands," the NWS said.

Hurricanes rarely make landfall in Hawaii and the last major storm to strike the island was nearly three decades ago, when Hurricane Iniki barrelled into the island of Kauai, leaving six people dead and $3 billion in damages.

In preparation for Hurricane Lane, state officials have closed schools and public offices in the counties affected while residents rushed to stores to stock up on water and food.

Governor David Ige on Tuesday declared a state of emergency on the Big Island to help provide relief for damage from the hurricane.

"Hurricane Lane is not a well-behaved hurricane," he said in a statement. "I´ve not seen such dramatic changes in the forecast track as I´ve seen with this storm.

"I urge our residents and visitors to take this threat seriously and prepare for a significant impact."</s>HONOLULU (AP) — As emergency shelters opened, rain began to pour and cellphone alerts went out, the approaching hurricane started to feel real for Hawaii residents.

Hurricane Lane was forecast to continue its northwest turn into the islands Thursday, which would make it the most powerful storm to hit Hawaii since Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

"Everyone is starting to buckle down at this point," said Christyl Nagao of Kauai. "Our families are here. We have businesses and this and that. You just have to man your fort and hold on tight."

Officials opened shelters on the Big Island and on the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai on Wednesday. They urged those needing to use the Molokai shelter to get there soon because of concerns the main highway on the south coast of the island could become impassable.

On the island of Oahu, which was put on a hurricane warning late Wednesday, shelters were scheduled to open Thursday. Officials were also working to help Hawaii's sizeable homeless population, many of whom live near beaches and streams that could flood.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Tom Travis said there's not enough shelter space statewide and advised those who are not in flood zones to stay home.

Officials warned the limited shelter space should be a "last resort" and aren't designed to withstand winds greater than about 40 mph (64.3 kph).

"Whenever possible, the public should plan to shelter in place or stay with family or friends in homes outside of these hazard areas that were designed, built, or renovated to withstand anticipated conditions," the city and county of Honolulu said in a news release.

Hurricanes are ranked 1 to 5 according to what is known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricane Lane is at category 4, which means winds from 130 to 156 mph (251 kph).

The Big Island was already starting to see Lane's first effects, Gov. David Ige said at a news conference Wednesday.

The hurricane's outer rain bands were bringing showers to some parts of the island, said Matt Foster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The eastern side of the island picked up nearly 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) of rain in three hours, Foster said.

Melanie Davis, who lives in a suburb outside Honolulu, said she was gathering canned food and baby formula.

"We're getting some bags of rice and of course, some Spam," she said of the canned lunch meat that's popular in Hawaii.

She was organizing important documents into a folder — birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, insurance paperwork — and making sure her three children, all under 4, have flotation devices such as swimming vests — "just in case."

Public schools were closed for the rest of the week and local government workers were told to stay home unless they're essential employees.

Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier said Lane may drop to a Category 3 by Thursday afternoon but that would still be a major hurricane.

"We expect it to gradually weaken as it gets closer to the islands," Chevalier said. "That being said, on our current forecast, as of the afternoon on Thursday, we still have it as a major hurricane."

The central Pacific gets fewer hurricanes than other regions, with about only four or five named storms a year. Hawaii rarely gets hit. The last major storm to hit was Iniki in 1992. Others have come close in recent years.

"We're planning on boarding up all our windows and sliding doors," Napua Puaoi of Wailuku, Maui, said after buying plywood from Home Depot. "As soon as my husband comes home — he has all the power tools."

"When it did happen, I just remember, pandemonium, it was all out craziness," she said.

Unlike Florida or Texas, where residents can get in their cars and drive hundreds of miles to safety, people in Hawaii are confined to the islands.

Instead, they must stay put and make sure they have enough supplies to outlast prolonged power outages and other potential emergencies.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has several barges with food, water and supplies that it moved into the region ahead of Hurricane Hector, which skirted past the islands more than a week ago, according to FEMA Administrator Brock Long.

The U.S. Navy was moving its ships and submarines out of Hawaii. All vessels not currently undergoing maintenance were being positioned to help respond after the storm, if needed.

Associated Press journalists Mark Thiessen and Dan Joling in Anchorage, Alaska, and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.</s>Powerful Hurricane Lane weakened slightly as it swirls towards Hawaii but US forecasters warn that its heavy rains and life-threatening winds still pose a major threat to the Pacific island chain.

The US Central Pacific Hurricane Center on Wednesday downgraded Hurricane Lane to a Category 4, the second-strongest on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of wind intensity.

Bearing 250km/h winds, it threatened to dump as much as 50cm of rain over parts of the islands, triggering major flash flooding and landslides.

Hawaii is already coping with the three-month eruption of Kilauea volcano on the Big Island, which was expected to start feeling the force of Lane's driving rains by late Wednesday afternoon, the Hawaii-based centre said.

It said further weakening of the cyclone was expected as it continued on a track that could see it take aim at other islands beginning early on Thursday.

"The centre of Lane will track dangerously close to the islands Thursday through Saturday," the advisory said. "Regardless of the exact track of the centre, life threatening impacts are likely in some areas as the hurricane makes its closest approach."

On Tuesday, Hawaii residents scrambled to prepare for the storm's arrival. Cars waited in long lines outside petrol stations in Honolulu and people could be seen pulling small boats from the water ahead of expected pounding surf.

Lane was about 505km south of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, at 5am Hawaii time, US forecasters said. It was expected to begin a turn towards the northwest of the island later on Wednesday, followed by a turn to the north-northwest on Thursday.

A hurricane warning was in effect for all Hawaii County and Maui county, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe. A hurricane watch was in effect for Oahu and Kauai.</s>Bryce and Dom Boeder of Waimea, Kauai, load their truck with storm supplies in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Lihue, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.

Hurricane Lane, weakening to a Category 4 storm as it pushes through the Pacific, is still as much as three days away from Hawaii but is already bringing heavy rain to the Big Island.

With maximum sustained winds slowing to 155 mph, Lane was downgraded from a Category 5 storm to the Category 4 level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale as it surged westerly across the Pacific Ocean.

Lane may weaken even further – to Category 3 – by Thursday afternoon and even fall to a Category 2 by Friday with winds up to 110 mph and its center west of Hawaii Island and south of Honolulu.

“We expect it to gradually weaken as it gets closer to the islands,” says meteorologist Chevy Chevalier in Honolulu. “That being said, on our current forecast, as of the afternoon on Thursday, we still have it as a major hurricane.”

At 2 p.m. EST, the hurricane was about 305 miles south of Kailua-Kona, east of Hilo, and moving northwest toward other islands.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the Big Island and the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe. A hurricane watch remained in effect for Oahu and other smaller islands.

Earlier this month, Hurricane Hector followed a similar path toward Hawaii but stayed south of the islands.

The hurricane will deliver a combination of torrential rainfall, high winds and dangerous surf as it approaches Hawaii, Accuweather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll told USA TODAY.

“Regardless of what happens in the eye of the hurricane, there’s going to be the potential for a lot of rain – 10-15 inches, perhaps even higher than that,” Doll said. “The problem with that, you get that much rain and you’re going to be seeing damage to property. It’s certainly going to be a threat to lives, as well, especially in areas that are prone to flooding.”

The central Pacific gets fewer hurricanes than other regions. The last hurricane to make landfall in the island state was Iniki, a Category 4 that barreled into the island of Kauai on Sept. 11, 1992, and resulted in more than $3 billion in damage. Six people were killed.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed an emergency proclamation Tuesday to put the state in position to lend support to county emergency responders.

The state closed all government offices on Maui and the Big Island starting Wednesday. In addition, all University of Hawaii campuses were shut down on Maui and the Big Island as well as Molokai and Lanai.

“We encourage all the people across the state to pay attention for this storm," Ige said. "It is different. It's not your typical hurricane that tracks south and goes away.”</s>Bryce and Dom Boeder of Waimea, Kauai, load their truck with storm supplies in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Lihue, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.

Hurricane Lane weakened slightly to a Category 4 on Wednesday as it threatens to become the first landfalling hurricane in Hawaii in nearly three decades.

With maximum sustained winds slowing to 155 mph, Lane was downgraded from a Cat 5 storm to the Cat 4 level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale as it surged westerly across the Pacific Ocean toward the Big Island. Unlike Hurricane Hector, which skirted the Hawaiian Islands earlier this month, Lane is projected to veer north-northwest and drench the Aloha State’s most populated areas.

At 5 a.m. HST (11 a.m. EST), the hurricane was about 320 miles southeast of Hilo, traveling northwest at 9 mph.

National Weather Service meteorologist Melissa Dye says rain associated with the hurricane has started to show up on radar off the Big Island of Hawaii and offshore buoys are detecting higher than normal waves.

Accuweather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll told USA TODAY that the hurricane will deliver a combination of torrential rainfall, high winds and dangerous surf as early as Wednesday.

“Regardless of what happens in the eye of the hurricane, there’s going to be the potential for a lot of rain – 10-15 inches, perhaps even higher than that,” Doll said. “The problem with that, you get that much rain and you’re going to be seeing damage to property. It’s certainly going to be a threat to lives, as well, especially in areas that are prone to flooding.”

A hurricane watch was declared for the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe, and Oahu.

“Hurricane Lane is a very serious storm that has the potential to do damage and cause harm,” said Tom Travis, who heads the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige on Tuesday signed an emergency proclamation to put the state in position to lend support to county emergency responders.

The state closed all government offices on Maui and the Big Island starting Wednesday. In addition, all University of Hawaii campuses were shut down on Maui and the Big Island, as well as Molokai and Lanai.

“We encourage all the people across the state to pay attention for this storm. It is different. It's not your typical hurricane that tracks south and goes away,” Ige said.

Indeed, Lane is forecast to turn north-northwest, or toward Honolulu, making it a threat to reach landfall – though in a weaker state.

“We expect it to be a Category 2 hurricane (then),” said Doll. But, he added, “That’s still a dangerous hurricane. Heed local warnings.”

A Category 3 hurricane at its peak, Hector followed a similar path toward Hawaii earlier this month but stayed south of the islands, causing “very little if any impact,” Doll said.

The last hurricane to make landfall in the island state was Iniki, a Category 4 that barreled into the island of Kauai on Sept. 11, 1992, and resulted in more than $3 billion in damages. Six people were killed.</s>(CNN) — Hurricane Lane is poised to give Hawaii an unusually major encounter with a major cyclone — and could batter the Big Island with rain and tropical storm force winds as early as Wednesday night.

The Category 4 storm’s dangerous center could make landfall this week, but even if it doesn’t, it should draw close to the islands Thursday through Saturday, bringing destructive winds and as many as 20 inches of rain onshore, forecasters said.

The state is bracing for a powerful punch: The governor has declared an emergency, and all public schools on the Big Island and Maui are closed.

People have been flocking to stores for supplies.

“(I’m) filling up my bathtub with some water, hoping to board up my main windows in time,” a shopper on the Big Island, Shana Bartolome, told CNN affiliate KHON on Tuesday.

The storm was in the Pacific about 315 miles south of the Big Island town of Kailua-Kona early Wednesday, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.

Lane is expected to weaken slowly through Friday, but it still is forecast “to remain a dangerous hurricane as it draws closer to the Hawaiian Islands,” the National Weather Service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center says.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Hawaii and Maui counties — meaning hurricane conditions are expected there.

A hurricane watch has been issued for Oahu and Kauai. The watch indicates hurricane conditions are possible and that winds of at least 39 mph are anticipated in the next two days.

American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines issued travel advisories to customers flying to or from Hawaii. Both are waiving reservation change fees as the hurricane approaches.

Tropical-storm-force winds — 39-73 mph — and rain could arrive at the Big Island and Maui County late Wednesday and early Thursday, and at the other islands Thursday or Friday.

Hurricane winds (74 mph and higher) could hit the Big Island and Maui County on Thursday.

In addition to strong winds, the primary threats will be rough surf, coastal erosion and heavy rainfall, even if the center of the storm does not move directly over the islands.

Through Saturday, 10-15 inches of rain are generally expected, with isolated amounts greater than 20 inches, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.

The downpours could lead to landslides and flooding.

Hurricanes rarely make landfall in Hawaii, as the Central Pacific does not see as many storms as the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific, and the Hawaiian Islands present a small target in the vast Pacific Ocean.

Only four named storms — two hurricanes and two tropical storms — have made landfall in Hawaii since 1959. Even close calls are somewhat rare, with Hawaii getting a named storm within 60 miles of its coastline about once every four years on average.

Lane represented another kind of rarity: It was a Category 5 storm late Tuesday before weakening Wednesday morning.

As such, this was only the second time in recorded history that a Category 5 hurricane came within 350 miles of the state — the first one being Hurricane John in 1994 — the National Weather Service said.

Hawaii has been experiencing a volcanic eruption for much of the summer. Mount Kilauea began producing lava flows in early May and portions of the southeastern coastline of the Big Island have been transformed by the lava flows that covered over 13 square miles (35 square kilometers).

Fortunately, the eruptive activity of Kilauea has “paused,” with no new lava flows since August 9, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Since there is not much lava reaching the ocean anymore, the hurricane shouldn’t have too much of an impact on the volcano region, according to Denison University Geophysicist Erik Klemetti.

© Copyright 2018 CNN. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>As Hawaii braces for the impact of Hurricane Lane, island residents can at least feel comforted they won’t be hit by a double-whammy of natural phenomena.

The Kilauea Volcano in the Big Island has settled down in the last two weeks, and it doesn’t figure to interact much with the approaching storm.

The U.S. Geological Service said in its Wednesday update that “Hurricane Lane is forecast to pass to the west of the (Big Island) and should not have a significant effect on the eruption aside from minor rockfalls at the summit and increased’’ steaming.

That’s good news for the thousands of Hawaiians who were affected in numerous ways by the volcanic eruptions that began on May 3. An estimated 700 homes were destroyed by lava as Kilauea shook with multiple eruptions over several weeks, with a 5.3-magnitude earthquake during one of the bursts further unnerving the locals.

In addition, toxic gas and volcanic smog, or “vog,’’ plagued residents and visitors from islands near and far for weeks. And in mid-July, 23 passengers were injured when a “lava bomb’’ crashed through the roof of a tourist boat off the Big Island.

No one-two punch from Mother Nature is expected to slug the Aloha State this time even if Hurricane Lane makes landfall, which appears unlikely.

Projections call for the storm, which strengthened to Category 5 early Wednesday morning, to dwindle into a Category 2 by the time it gets closest to the islands late Thursday and early Friday.

Volcanoes are notoriously unpredictable, but experts say they don’t get activated by changes in the air pressure from an incoming storm, as has been speculated.

“The forces that drive eruptions aren’t usually at the surface. Eruptions are driven by forces much deeper, whether or not magma is actually moving toward the surface,’’ said Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at Concord University in Athens, West Virginia. “So because those are quite deep, it’s unlikely they’re going to be affected by something above the surface like air pressure.’’

On the other hand, an active volcano could have an impact on a major storm, exacerbating it to a certain extent. That was the case when Tropical Cyclone Flossie slammed into Hawaii in 2013, as particles spewed out by Kilauea contributed to intensify a lightning storm.

More: At least 23 injured as 'lava bomb' hits tour boat near Hawaii's Kilauea volcano

“The physics does allow for more smaller droplets to form and get blown higher in the storm, which promotes lightning as it gets above the freezing level, rather than raining out,’’ said Steven Businger, a professor and chair of the atmospheric sciences department at the University of Hawaii.

The most impactful interaction of volcano and major storm on record came with the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991. The second largest volcanic explosion of the 20th century coincided with the arrival of Typhoon Yunya, and they combined to bring down a blanket of volcanic ash with heavy rains, killing an estimated 250-300 people.

Krippner said that, in addition to the ash, Pinatubo produced lots of pyroclastic deposits – made of a hot gases and volcanic matter – which led to flooding, but she calls Kilauea’s outburst “such a different case.’’

Nevertheless, major flooding is likely with the amount of rain predicted to get unleashed by Hurricane Lane. Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu said that’s the biggest concern with the approaching storm, unless it changes course and veers closer to land.

“Regardless of the track of the hurricane, there’s a lot of moisture in the air, so we’re expecting a lot of rain for the islands,’’ Chevalier said. “We’re talking many inches, with forecasts of as much as 20 inches-plus in some areas. We’re talking feet of rain instead of inches.’’

But at least no volcanic eruptions.
Hurricane Lane strengthens to a Category 5 hurricane for around three hours as it heads toward Hawaii, before returning to Category 4.