Scramble for food, water as hurricane nears Hawaii

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Hawaii’s worst storm in a quarter century churned toward the main island of Oahu on Thursday as schools, government offices and business closed while residents stocked up on supplies and boarded up homes.

Hurricane Lane, which on Tuesday night was briefly upgraded to a Category-5 storm, the most severe grade, is being called the biggest storm to approach the Hawaiian Islands in some 24 years.

The weather service predicts maximum sustained winds of 249 kilometers per hour.

A photo taken from the International Space Station by astronaut Ricky Arnold shows Hurricane Lane in the early morning hours near Hawaii, August 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the center said. “Life-threatening impacts are likely in some areas as the hurricane makes its closest approach.”

Governor David Ige urged residents to prepare for the worst by setting aside a 14-day supply of water, food and medicines in the event of major damage to roads and infrastructure.

“I urge our residents and visitors to take this threat seriously and prepare for a significant impact,” the governor said at a news conference in the state capital, Honolulu.

He also announced that all public schools, University of Hawaii campuses and non-essential government offices on the islands of Oahu and Kauai would be closed for at least two days starting on Thursday.

Crowds of people with loaded shopping carts leave a supermarket in Honolulu, Hawaii, August 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

The shelves of a downtown Honolulu Walmart were stripped of items ranging from canned tuna to dog food. Shoppers jostled with one another to get the last boxes of ramen noodles.

“There’s nothing in there,” said one shopper leaving the store.

City residents used carts to push cases of bottled water and coolers full of ice, after warnings of possible power outages and evacuations.

Cars waited in long lines at gasoline stations in Honolulu and people could be seen pulling small boats from the water ahead of Lane’s expected storm surge.

US President Donald Trump directed FEMA and administration officials to remain in close coordination with the state, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.

US Navy ships and submarines based in Hawaii were instructed to leave port, a common practice as a hurricane approaches to avoid damage.

(Cover: Supermarket shelves are empty after residents restocked their water and food supplies to prepare for Hurricane Lane in Oahu, Hawaii, August 22, 2018. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency