Tropical Depression Two-C is the latest system targeting Hawaiʻi, with Gov. Josh Green warning of a possible trifecta of storms in the days ahead and urging residents Thursday to restock supplies and prepare as the islands recover from Hurricane Lala.
National Guard soldiers and airmen, along with emergency supply pods, have been staged in the southern portion of Hawaiʻi island, officials said. County and state crews continue clearing roads and delivering aid to communities hit hardest by Lala last weekend.
At a briefing, Hawaiʻi Adjutant General Stephen Logan said specialized military teams have recovered more than 60 sets of remains that were washed from Nāʻālehu Cemetery by flooding during Lala. Two additional bodies found in nearby open fields are believed to be storm victims.
Tropical Depression Two-C expected to strengthen
National Weather Service meteorologist John Bravender said Tropical Depression Two-C is forecast to intensify and move toward the islands in the next couple of days. It is expected to become a tropical storm, likely taking the name Moke. Bravender noted it is not the same as Lala, saying it appears on a track a bit farther south with a smaller wind field, which could reduce damage potential.
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, the depression was about 850 miles east-southeast of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Honolulu said it could still reach hurricane strength later.
Primary concerns focus on the southeast side of the Big Island, particularly Puna and Kaʻū, which already absorbed the heaviest rainfall from Lala. Power outages persist and residents are still digging out from mud and debris. Bravender said saturated ground raises the risk of additional flooding and mudslides.
“Given all the damage that we’ve had and the repairs that people are still trying to accomplish right now, we’re concerned about the damage potential from this,” he said.
Heavy rain likely for windward Big Island and Maui
The three-day rainfall outlook calls for 10 to 15 inches on windward and southeast Hawaiʻi island beginning late Sunday night, with 6 to 10 inches possible on windward Maui. The rest of the chain could see 2 to 4 inches as the system moves across the state late Sunday into Monday.
Green said another, less organized disturbance farther east of Hawaiʻi appears to be consolidating and could become a tropical depression around the start of September. “This is going to be a trifecta,” he said, listing Lala, the expected Tropical Storm Moke, and a potential third system forming near Sept. 1. He said it is too soon to know how strong that third system might become.
Damage counts mount as federal aid pursued for Tropical Depression Two-C
Hawaiʻi County has logged damage reports from Lala for 503 homes and 36 businesses, county spokesman Tom Callis said. Vibrant Hawaiʻi CEO Janice Ikeda said the nonprofit has received more than 1,200 requests for assistance from Big Island households.
Green said the state is pursuing federal disaster aid and will conduct a joint damage assessment with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He has been in regular contact with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and said federal officials have indicated Hawaiʻi should qualify for federal designations. State officials met with FEMA on Wednesday as part of that process.
In the meantime, the state has funds available for recovery. Lawmakers set aside $100 million this fiscal year to support storm response, Green said. He also cited private donations to aid recovery from Lala, including $1 million each from Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, and $3 million from global retailer Tadashi Yanai, as the state continues responding to impacts from Tropical Storm Lala.
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