Nolo Pulls Away From Hawaii but Flood and Wind Threats Linger

Hurricane Nolo was pulling away from the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, yet the danger of torrential rain, flash flooding and damaging winds remained across parts of the Big Island still recovering from earlier storms.

By early Sunday, Nolo sat about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Hawaii's southernmost point and was tracking away from the Big Island at roughly 12 mph (19 kph). Its maximum sustained winds had climbed to near 105 mph (165 kph).

The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency kept a high wind warning, a wind advisory and a high surf advisory in place for parts of the island through Sunday evening.

Forecasters expected Nolo to keep strengthening and turn northwest by Sunday night, though its center was projected to stay well south and southwest of the islands. The storm was due to near the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a national conservation area, early this week.

Outer rain bands could bring life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with some areas of the Big Island forecast to receive up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain. Heavy rain was also expected on the other islands.

"Don't venture out if you don't have to into the dangerous flooding environment, but also high winds. We can have trees and power lines down," said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center.

Downpours across southern parts of the Big Island on Saturday afternoon forced partial closures of a main highway linking Kailua-Kona on the west coast to Hilo on the east. Near Naalehu, at the island's southern tip, National Guard members helped a man driving through flooded streets as he tried to leave his home. More than 120 guard members were activated on the island, part of about 400 statewide after the governor issued an emergency proclamation.

Residents are still recovering from Hurricane Lala, which swept roughly 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island with heavy rain and strong winds.

At Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo, about a dozen people swam Saturday morning despite closure signs. Andrea Gill was taking her regular swim before returning home to shelter with family. Shop owners boarded up storefronts and events were canceled. Gill said storms are common in the islands but hurricanes are rare, and she hoped the state would be spared the worst.

"We're used to lots of rain. We're not used to wind. So it's always a blessing when we don't get the wind from the hurricane," she said.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration Friday, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate assistance and provide funding.

Hawaiian Electric, the state's main utility, said crews that had been restoring power on Kauai after this month's Hurricane Lowell returned to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island ahead of the storm.

On Maui, a brush fire broke out Saturday on the west side near Olowalu, about 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Lahaina, the site of the deadly 2023 fires. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for some residents, and Hawaiian Electric cut power to most of the area as a precaution. The weather service issued a high wind warning for parts of Maui Saturday evening, warning of winds of at least 40 mph (64 kph) with gusts above 60 mph (97 kph).

National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec said the Pacific has been unusually active this season, with storm activity above average at the peak of hurricane season — a pattern consistent with El Niño years, when the Pacific typically sees more tropical storms and hurricanes.

Meanwhile, Mexico faced Hurricane Polo as it bore down on the Baja California Peninsula after lashing the southwestern coast. By Sunday, Polo had weakened to a Category 3 storm and slowed to about 10 mph (16 kph), according to Mexico's National Meteorological Service, or SMN. The agency said in a post on X that Polo was expected to make landfall Monday, generating sustained winds of 120 mph (195 kph), down from a peak of 140 mph (220 kph).

The Mexican navy said it had assembled personnel and humanitarian aid at the Pacific ports of Guaymas and Mazatlan and deployed three vessels that could carry supplies to coastal communities cut off by the hurricane.

San Juanico, a small fishing town on Baja's Pacific coast, lies in the projected path. The community has had full-time electricity for only a few years and still suffers frequent outages; the nearest gas station is so distant that fuel is stored in tanks and sold directly, with supplies often running out. Officials worry washed-out roads could block access to the closest medical facility, about 80 minutes away in Ciudad Constitucion.

"Our people are concerned about this event," said Gloriely Robles Meza, a manager at a small hotel. "We haven't faced such a worrying situation in many years."

Robles Meza said the Mexican Army arrived in San Juanico on Sunday to set up a shelter and prepare for possible emergencies, while an electrical crew was also on hand ahead of Polo's arrival.