Tropical Storm Hone Brings Heavy Rain to Hawaii as Three Cyclones Spin in Pacific

Three tropical cyclones were active over the Pacific Ocean on Monday, including Tropical Storm Hone, which caused heavy rainfall and flash flooding in Hawaii, Hurricane Gilma, which is strengthening, and Tropical Storm Hector, moving westward far off the coast of Baja California, The Associated Press reports.

Tropical Storm Hone has primarily affected the Big Island, leading to road closures, downed power lines, and damaged trees due to heavy rain. Forecaster William Ahue from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu reported that by midday Monday, Hone was located 280 miles west-southwest of Honolulu, with maximum sustained winds reaching 65 mph. The storm is moving west at a speed of 13 mph.

“No major damage that we know of yet. No injuries that we know of at this point,” Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said.

However, he noted that one family had to be evacuated on Sunday due to flooding.

Due to the storm, four schools on the Big Island were closed due to power outages and flooded roads. Hawaiian Electric reported that it had restored power to most customers affected by the outages. State transportation officials also indicated that Hilo airport may experience increased traffic on Monday due to additional flights intended to accommodate cancellations from the weekend.