Lane downgraded to tropical storm
Lane breaks branch: Flash flooding, heavy surf still possible
Lane has been downgraded to a tropical storm, though heavy rains from the system still could cause flash flooding, the National Weather Service said at 5 p.m. Friday.
Lane had weakened rapidly over the past 24 hours with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The former Category 5 hurricane will experience further weakening over the next two days and may become a remnant low-pressure system today or Sunday, the weather service said.
The sluggish system was moving northwest at 3 mph and was expected to turn west while increasing speed over the next couple of days, the weather service said.
On the current forecast track, Lane will pass south of Kauai today. It was 170 miles southwest of Kahului, 160 miles southwest of Kaunakakai and 145 miles southwest of Lanai at 5 p.m. Friday, the weather service said.
The hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning for Maui County late Friday afternoon. Tropical storm force winds extended 140 miles from the center of Lane and will affect Maui County into today, the weather service said.
Excessive rainfall remains possible into the weekend, which could bring flash flooding and landslides, the weather service said. Lane is expected to produce rain totals of 10 to 20 inches in some areas.
A flash-flood warning for East Maui and the West Maui Mountains had been posted for Maui County until Friday evening. Radar showed heavy rain of 1 to 3 inches over the slopes of Haleakala and into the West Maui Mountains on Friday afternoon, the weather service said.
Nearly 4 inches of rain fell at West Wailuaiki in East Maui in the 24-hour period ending at 1 p.m. Friday. More than 1 inch fell in Puu Kukui in the West Maui Mountains, Haiku and Kula.
The affected areas included Kahului, Honokohau, Kahakuloa, Haliimaile, Paia, Makawao, Wailuku, Waihee, Kaanapali, Kula, Keanae, Nahiku and Pukalani.
The heavy rains closed Hana Highway near Mile Marker 20 and Piilani Highway at Mile Marker 37 near Kaupo on Friday evening, the weather service reported.
Large swells generated by Lane will impact exposed south and east shorelines through today, the weather service said.
A high-surf warning was in effect for south-facing shores of Maui County into this morning. Surf of 15 to 25 feet was expected.
Tropical storm conditions had begun hitting the county Thursday night into Friday. There were reports of broken branches and downed trees.
The high winds from Lane damaged electrical equipment and knocked out power to 4,800 customers in West Maui. Repair work was hampered by a major brush fire in West Maui on Friday, said Maui Electric spokeswoman Shayna Decker.
On Friday evening, MECO asked customers to prepare for an extended outage through today. Access to damaged wires and poles was restricted due to the fire Friday.
About 30 poles were broken, cracked or downed from Lahaina to Kaanapali. Repairs also need to be made to two of the three transmission lines feeding West Maui. The remaining transmission line, running on steel poles, remains in service with enough capacity to serve the area.
Power was restored to critical infrastructure, including the Lahaina Fire Station, Lahaina Police Station and the Lahaina Civic Center, which is serving as an emergency shelter, Decker said.
The Maui Police Department was increasing patrols in the affected West Maui areas Friday evening.
On Molokai, repair crews were able to restore power in an outage that affected 2,600 customers. All but six were restored by Friday night.
Should customers experience any outages or encounter downed power lines, report them to Maui Electric’s trouble line at 871-7777 on Maui or toll-free for Lanai or Molokai at (877) 871-8461.
Because of the West Maui outage, west side residents and businesses were “strongly urged” to conserve water today, a county news release Friday night said. The Department of Water Supply is unable to operate its pumps due to the power outage, and the surface water treatment facilities cannot process the muddy water inflow.
After power is restored, it will take some time to restore tank levels. Customers should use water for health and safety purposes only until Sunday.
Customers are asked to check www.mauicounty.gov for updates and only call the 24/7 service line in case of water emergency.
The state Transportation Department reported clearing trees and branches from state highways and that some traffic signals were out due to power outages.
Airlines announced cancellations of flights into Maui County airports Friday.
Hawaiian Airlines canceled flights from Honolulu and San Diego on Friday into Kahului Airport.
American Airlines joined United, ‘Ohana by Hawaiian, Mokulele and Aloha Airlines Cargo in canceling flights into Kahului Airport on Friday.
Alaska Airlines flights between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Makani Kai flights to Kalaupapa Airport also were canceled Friday.
All departing and arriving passengers were advised to check their flight status and confirm their reserved seats with their airline before going to the airport.
Kahului Airport remained open and had power restored Thursday following an outage. The airport was not closed during the outage, running on generator power.
Five passengers stayed in the terminal overnight at their request while other passengers were put on other flights or put up in hotels, the Transportation Department said.
Kapalua Airport was sheltering people displaced by the fire in Lahaina on Friday morning.
There were more than 900 people in Maui County shelters, which included people who fled their homes due to the fire in West Maui, county officials said Friday morning. There were 300 evacuees inside the Lahaina Civic Center and another 200 people outside. The fire drove evacuees from Lahaina Intermediate to the Lahaina Civic Center.
Maui High had 225 evacuees; Lokelani Intermediate in Kihei, 75; King Kekaulike in Pukalani, 64; Molokai High, 21; Lanai High, 17; and Hana High, two.
The Transportation Department reported that Kahului Harbor, which has been closed since Wednesday, was still not open to shipping Friday. Staff reported high winds and surge in the harbor.
Closures and cancellations announced Friday:
• Maui Economic Development Board’s annual Ke Alahele STEM Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been rescheduled to Sept. 1 at the Grand Wailea resort. Reception and silent auction will begin at 4:30 p.m. followed by dinner and live auction at 6 p.m.
• Haleakala National Park’s Summit and Kipahulu districts will be closed through the weekend. There will be no sunrise viewing today and Sunday, and the entrance gates will be locked. Park managers will assess conditions Sunday. The Kipahulu and Hosmer Grove campgrounds are closed. No backcountry camping permits are being issued and all cabin reservations have been canceled. For more information, call 572-4400 and press option 2 or check the park website at www.nps.gov/hale or Facebook page.
• Post offices in Maui County will be closed today. There will be no mail delivery or pickup from blue Postal Service mailboxes.
• The status of the Maui Bus and Maui Economic Opportunity paratransit services, which have been closed since Wednesday, will be reassessed today.
• The county plans to open all landfills in Central Maui, Hana, Molokai and Lanai today, pending an assessment. Even if the Molokai Landfill opens, it will close early at 1 p.m. due to a manpower shortage.
• The county e-cycling site in Wailuku will be closed today. It will reopen from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday to accept TVs, computers, monitors and printers.
• The county Recycling Drop Box facilities in Central Maui, Makawao, Haiku, Kihei and Hana will reopen from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, pending a storm damage assessment.
* Lee Imada can be reached at leeimada@mauinews.com.
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LANE CLOSURES AT A GLANCE
Here are announcements of closures received by The Maui News.
Schools
• All Maui Interscholastic League athletic are canceled through the weekend.
Government offices and services
• Maui Bus and Maui Economic Opportunity’s paratransit stopped running Wednesday night until further notice. The county will be assessing the situation today.
• There will be no trash pickup today. Regular service will resume Monday.
• The county plans to open all landfills in Central Maui, Hana, Molokai and Lanai today, pending an assessment. Even if the Molokai Landfill opens, it will close early at 1 p.m. due to a manpower shortage.
• The county e-cycling site in Wailuku will be closed today. It will reopen from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday to accept TVs, computers, monitors and printers.
• The county Recycling Drop Box facilities in Central Maui, Makawao, Haiku, Kihei and Hana will reopen from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, pending a storm damage assessment.
• There will be no mail delivery, and post offices are closed today.
• Lanai mouflon hunt set for today and Sunday has been canceled, said the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The Lana’i Cooperative Game Management Area is closed until further notice. Hunters holding permits for the mouflon hunt will be notified of opportunities to reschedule their hunts. For more information, go to the state’s hunting web page at dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/hunting/.
Parks, recreational areas, reserves
• Haleakala National Park Summit and Kipahulu districts are closed today and Sunday, and there will be no sunrise viewing on those days. Park managers will assess the situation Sunday. The Kipahulu and Hosmer Grove campgrounds are closed and hiking in the backcountry has been halted. The issuance of backcountry camping permits was stopped, and all cabin reservations were canceled.
• State forest reserves, natural area reserves, game management areas, wildlife sanctuaries, public hunting areas and Na Ala Hele trails remain closed until further notice. Night camping and lodging in state parks also was halted.
• Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge coastal boardwalk and visitor center were closed Wednesday until further notice.
• Waianapanapa State Park in East Maui was closed due to the possibility of landslides on Hana Highway.
Health facilities
• Maui County public medical facilities, Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital will be open.
• Diagnostic Laboratory Services is closed today and will reopen Monday.
• Home health by Hale Makua will reopen today.
• Hale Makua Adult Day Health program is closed until further notice.
• Kaiser Permanente’s Maui Lani same day clinic plans to open 8 a.m. today, pending facility evaluation.
Businesses
• American Savings’ six Maui branches and one Molokai branch will be open today.
• Central Pacific Bank branches on Maui will be open today.
• Queen Ka’ahumanu Center is closed until further notice. The state Department of Transportation Pedestrian Safety Fair and Hot Rods & Classic Car show today have been postponed with new dates to be announced.
• Outlets of Maui in Lahaina is closed until further notice.
• Zippy’s in Kahului reopened Friday.
• Hele gas stations are closed until further notice.
• Foodland and Sack N Save will reopen at 8 a.m. today.
Other facilities and programs
• Hawaiian Telcom offices are closed until further notice. Appointments will be rescheduled. Customers may report issues and downed lines to the 24-hour service center at 643-6111 or online at support.hawaiiantel.com. Repairs will begin when weather conditions have returned to normal, and it is safe to work.
• Maui Ocean Center closed Thursday until further notice.
• Akaku Maui Community Media is closed and will reopen Monday.
Events
• Maui Economic Development Board’s annual Ke Alahele STEM Education Fund Benefit Dinner & Auction, originally scheduled for today, has been rescheduled to Sept. 1 at the Grand Wailea Resort. Reception and silent auction will begin at 4:30 p.m. followed by dinner and live auction at 6 p.m.
• Henry Kapono & Friends show Sunday at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center has been rescheduled for Sept. 16. Tickets already purchased may be used for the new date. People unable to attend may receive a full refund by returning their tickets to the MACC box office. Those who have purchased tickets but have not yet picked them up should contact the box office for a refund at 242-7469. All refunds need to occur before Sept. 16.
• “A Starry Night in Kula” at St. John’s Church set for 4 to 7 p.m. today has been postponed until Nov. 3. Those who have purchased tickets should call 878-1485.
• Upcountry Farmers Market at Kulamalu Town Center will be closed today.
• Kula Shofukuji Shingon Mission obon has been rescheduled from today to Sept. 1.
• Two presentations on pain management with medical cannabis have been rescheduled to Sept. 8. Brunch & Lear” is slated for 9:30-11:30 a.m. and Lunch & Learn from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Leis Family Class Act Restaurant at UH-MC. Michael Backes, author of “Cannabis Pharmacy” and member of Maui Grown Therapies Science & Medical Advisory Board, will be the speaker. Attendees who registered for the original dates may retain their registration for the new date or request a full refund through eventibrite.com.
• AARP’s Smart Driver Course set for today at Roselani Place in Kahului has been canceled.
Advisories
• The county water department has urged customers to conserve water. A storm could disrupt power supply to water sources that run on pumps and motors. Irrigation systems and other nonessential uses of water should be shut off until further notice. Upcountry farmers who use water from Kula Agricultural Park are being asked to conserve water until Lane passes. The irrigation ditches used by the park are being emptied in preparation for the storm.
• HMSA will allow early refills of maintenance medications on all islands. Members should call for approval at (855) 479-3659 for Medicare Part D, (855) 479-3656 for HMSA QUEST Integration, and (855) 298-2491 for HMSA commercial plans.
• Kaiser Permanente has adjusted its prescription refill timeline restrictions. Members should be able to refill most medications 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone at (808) 643-7979 (TTY 711) and online at kp.org/pharmacycenter or through the KP mobile app. Controlled substances still are subject to approval by a physician and pharmacist.
- A large limb rests on the awning and light fixtures fronting Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on Front Street on Friday morning. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
- A fallen tree blocks the service entrance to Roy’s Kaanapali on Friday at the Kaanapali Golf Course Clubhouse. — The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo








