Hasegawa General Store Office Manager Wiloris Perry-Estocado said the storm in East Maui was relatively calm as of Thursday evening.

By 3 p.m. Thursday, Hana was experiencing some wind, but no rain yet, she said.

“We’ll stay open as long as we can. We had a couple power outages but they came on quickly. We’re OK,” she said.

John Romain, owner and manager of the Bamboo Inn in Hana, echoed that statement, saying there had been gusts of winds but it was still dry.

“Usually in the southern storms like this, we actually get less effect than others so we haven’t had any rain today at all,” he said.

Romain said he had just been back from Hana town that Thursday afternoon, and said businesses were open but traffic was limited.

“Not many cars. Not a lot of travelers passing through and I suspect the food trucks will be closing up early. But all and all, other than the wind, it’s pretty good weather,” he said.

Kihei resident Isabella Troxell said it rained a little bit in South Maui, but had stopped raining by Thursday evening.

“It was pretty windy at the beginning during the morning hours, after that it poured pretty hard but now it seems to have stopped – the wind and the rain,” she said.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Maui County until 6 p.m., including Kaunakakai and Lānaʻi City.

The watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.

While residents were reporting a rather manageable storm experience, individuals in these areas are still advised to be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.

Severe thunderstorms produce damaging winds of 58 mph or higher or destructive hail the size of quarters or larger.

There is also a High Wind Warning in effect until noon Friday and a Flood Watch through Friday afternoon.

As of 8 p.m. Thursday, there were about 6,500 customers without power on Maui, the majority in the Upcountry and North Shore areas due to fallen trees and branches on lines, according to Hawaiian Electric.

Maui County officials also opened emergency shelters for houseless individuals. In a partnership with Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center, the center’s cafeteria opened ahead of the storm Thursday morning with limited amenities for 20 to 30 individuals.

Maui Emergency Management Agency officials were also working with American Red Cross and other partners to identify shelters for the general public that can be opened in vulnerable areas should impacts warrant evacuation.

All schools were closed on Maui, as well as numerous offices and businesses.