The storm, which rose to Category 5 strength Tuesday evening, weakened slightly Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
WAILEA, Hawaii — Hawaii was bracing Wednesday for possible landfall from Hurricane Lane, a rare Category 4 storm in the Pacific Ocean that forecasters are warning could bring whipping winds, flooding and high surf.
The storm, which rose to Category 5 strength Tuesday evening, weakened slightly Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. As of 5:20 p.m. local time Wednesday, it was about 220 miles south of the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, with wind speeds of 145 mph.
As the hurricane raced toward Hawaii, the state issued an emergency declaration and closed government offices, including public schools. Tourists and residents were closely following the hurricane’s path and the latest forecasts, with some visitors rushing to airports on Wednesday to try to book flights to leave before the worst of the storm was expected to arrive.
But as rain started to fall on Wednesday morning on Maui, Athena Walsh, a taxi driver, was not fazed. She said she was not yet convinced that Hurricane Lane posed a serious threat, noting that only tourists and new residents panic in these situations.
“I’ve seen so many hurricane warnings and then it’s a beautiful day,” said Walsh, who has lived in Hawaii since 1979. “We’re not going to worry and stress about it.”
Hurricane Lane is the second major storm to pass near Hawaii in recent weeks. Hurricane Hector grew into a Category 4 storm as it barreled through the Pacific. It eventually veered south of Hawaii and did not make landfall.
For a brief period, Hurricane Lane was a Category 5, with winds at 160 mph, making it only the second storm at that strength to travel within 350 miles of Hawaii in the state’s history, according to the Weather Service.
Tropical storm-force winds could arrive on the Big Island by late Wednesday local time, with hurricane-force winds to follow soon afterward, said Gavin Shigesato, a National Weather Service meteorologist. The storm was expected to continue north toward the islands of Maui and Oahu, arriving around Thursday morning, he said.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.