LIHUE – The long lines and log jams of shopping carts on Tuesday looked every bit a part of Black Friday. But it was far from it — though shoppers continued to cram stores, stockpile supplies and buy gas until
LIHUE – The long lines and log jams of shopping carts on Tuesday looked every bit a part of Black Friday.
But it was far from it — though shoppers continued to cram stores, stockpile supplies and buy gas until pumps went dry.
That’s how it looked as people prepared for a possible hurricane.
Donald Bryant has lived on Kauai for 37 years and survived two hurricanes.
“I’m always prepared,” said Bryant. “Once you’ve been through one, you know how to prepare for the next one.”
Water was on the McDonald family shopping list, too.
Twenty-four liters of it – $30 worth – plus a couple cases of beer, multi-packs of Saimen and cases of Cherry Coke seemed to satisfy the needs of Lori and Jody McDonald.
“You need alcohol during times of stress,” Jody McDonald said.
Her mother-in-law Lori McDonald of Wailua Homesteads said she also shopped for her pets because during Hurricane Iniki in 1992, she ran out of dog food.
“My African gray, Barney needed his bird food, too,” Lori said.
The McDonalds planned to tape the outside of their windows come Friday since they said it prevented shattering of glass during Iniki.
Jordan Gerth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said Tuesday the forecast called for Hurricane Iselle to hit Kauai midday Friday and continue into the evening hours. Gerth said it could be early Saturday morning before the system departs.
Another storm is hot on the heels of Iselle. Tropical Storm Julio could follow Iselle’s path and land on Kauai a few days after. It’s expected to hit the islands around Saturday. Meanwhile, Iselle was classified a Category 2 hurricane.
The clustered storms are rare but not unexpected in years with a developing El Nino, a change in ocean temperature that affects weather around the world.
“It’s something that doesn’t happen very often,” said Eric Lau, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu. “Conditions are favorable because we’re entering El Nino temperatures.”
Brian Miyamoto, spokesman for State Civil Defense/Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said Hurricane Iselle is expected to weaken to a tropical storm when it hits the Big Island on Thursday afternoon and then sweep over the other islands.
“Tropical storms are nothing to laugh at,” Miyamoto said.
He predicted heavy rains and sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph during the storms.
The Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross has been working since Monday to put local volunteers on standby to respond on all islands in response to Iselle and Julio. More than 1,500 volunteers statewide are prepared to open shelters.
“People need to bring their own food, water, blankets, toiletries, medications, and other necessities to a hurricane evacuation shelter,” said Coralie Matayoshi, Chief Executive Officer for the Hawaii State Chapter. “There simply are not enough resources if a substantial number of people need to evacuate to shelters to ride out the storm.”
The Kauai Humane Society, meanwhile, is offering a free pet bunker at its Puhi site. It’s for pets only and will open when evacuation centers are officially open. There will be seven pet-friendly shelters set up across the islands where people and their pets can wait it out, so long as the pet owner brings pet food.
Camping areas, including Waimea Canyon, Alakai Wilderness, Sugi Grove and Kawaikoi have been closed. The Division of State Parks said it will close Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park and the Kalalau Trail will be closed today as well. State Parks will also send a helicopter out today to warn campers at Kalalau beach to evacuate or shelter in place.
The Red Cross is recommending everyone have seven days’ worth of supplies at home or in a compact portable container.
Kauai Complex Superintendent Bill Arakaki did not respond to The Garden Island whether schools would be closed this week. The Hawaii State Department of Education announced schools would close in Maui County and the island of Hawaii.
Still, threatening weather didn’t deter some people from vacationing.
Janine and Tom Lally have lived through blizzards, monsoons and wildfires. They landed in Lihue late Tuesday morning from Denver with their two young children. It is their fifth visit to Kauai and they said they weren’t about to cancel.
“We were going to camp, but that time got cut short,” Tom Lally said.
Instead, they plan to stay in a Poipu hotel but before checking in they stocked up on water.
“It’s our favorite place on Earth, that’s why we still came even after we heard about the storm,” Janine said.
Shoppers were buying items as fast as they could be stocked. Walmart ran out of water and generators on Monday. They replenished the water bottles Tuesday.
“The water is going quickly,” said Walmart spokeswoman Betsy Harden. “People are purchasing quite a bit. We’re expecting more food supplies. We’re trying to work with our vendor partners to be sure product lasts throughout the storm.”
Foodland in Princeville ran out of water Monday as well and restocked on Tuesday. The store was busy with people buying in bulk, everything from paper to canned goods. Extra deliveries of water and canned goods are being dropped off today at the Kapaa and Princeville locations, according to Sheryl Toda, a Foodland spokeswoman.
The Waimea Shell station ran out of gasoline late Tuesday.
“It was really busy and they still keep coming in,” said Elaine Games in the early evening as she manned the station. “We’ll be getting another delivery tonight, an added one even after the one we got on Monday.”
Kimberly Lenz of Kapaa purchased plenty of flashlight batteries, canned goods, canned meats and crackers. She also bought her daughter several puzzles.
“Without her electronics, if the electricity goes out, she’ll climb the walls,” Lenz said.
• TGI reporter Tom LaVenture and Associated Press contributed to this article.
