HONOLULU -- Hurricane Lane has weakened as it approaches Hawaii but was still expected to pack a wallop, forecasters said Wednesday, as people hurried to buy water and other supplies and the Navy moved its ships to safety.
Hawaii's governor said President Donald Trump has approved a request for emergency aid as Hurricane Lane approaches the islands.
Gov. David Ige said the the presidential disaster declaration means Hawaii will have access to federal resources as communities recover from any damage or losses caused by the hurricane.
The Big Island was already starting to see Lane's first effects Wednesday, Ige said at a news conference.
Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier in Honolulu said its winds had slowed overnight from 160 mph to 155 mph, prompting a downgrade from a Category 5 to a Category 4 hurricane.
He said it may drop to a Category 3 by today but that would still be a major hurricane.
"We expect it to gradually weaken as it gets closer to the islands," Chevalier said. "That being said, on our current forecast, as of the afternoon on Thursday, we still have it as a major hurricane."
With winds anticipated to 130 mph, the hurricane could cause catastrophic damage.
Residents rushed to stores to stock up on bottled water, ramen, toilet paper and other supplies as they faced the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and high surf.
Public schools were closed for the rest of the week and local government workers were told to stay home unless they're essential employees.
Ige said employees on Hawaii and Maui islands who work in disaster response as well as in hospitals and prisons were required to report to their jobs.
Shelters were being readied to open on Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Officials said they would open shelters on other islands when needed. Officials were also working to help Hawaii's sizeable homeless population, many of whom live near beaches and streams that could flood.
The U.S. Navy was moving its ships and submarines out of Hawaii. All vessels not currently undergoing maintenance were being positioned to help respond after the storm, if needed.
Navy aircraft will be kept in hangars or flown to other airfields to avoid the storm.
The central Pacific gets fewer hurricanes than other regions, with about only four or five named storms a year. Hawaii rarely gets hit. The last major storm to hit was Iniki in 1992.
"Winds tend to steer storms away from there," said Princeton University climate scientist Gabe Vecchi. He also said upper level winds, called shear, tend to be strong enough to tear storms apart.
Napua Puaoi of Wailuku, Maui, said the last time her family boarded up the windows of their home was in 1992 during Hurricane Iniki.
"We have neighbors all around our house and a lot of their items are just outside, not properly secured," she said. "If the wind was to hit us, we'll have a lot of damage."
She was 12 when Iniki hit.
"When it did happen, I just remember, pandemonium, it was all out craziness," she said.
Kauai resident Mike Miranda was 12 when Hurricane Iniki devastated the island. He recalled that Iniki's turn into the islands was sudden.
"I remember how very little rain fell. But I remember the wind being the strongest force of nature I've ever witnessed and probably the scariest sounds I've ever heard in my life," he said.
Information for this article was contributed by Dan Joling and Seth Borenstein of The Associated Press.
A Section on 08/23/2018