Filipinos warned of hurricane

Crowds with overweighted shopping carts leave Sam’s Club after buying supplies for Hurricane Lane on Wednesday, 22 August 2018 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lane is a high-end Category 4 hurricane and remains a threat to the entire island chain. AFP The Philippine consulate in Hawaii has advised the Filipino community in the US state to take the necessary precautions and to prepare for Hurricane Lane.

“Prepare a 14-day emergency supply of the following recommended items: Water, food- non-perishable food that does not require cooking, radio, flashlights, spare batteries, whistle to signal for help, personal items, medicines, children’s and pet’s needs,” the consulate said in an advisory issued Wednesday.

The consulate also advised Filipino nationals in areas to be affected by the hurricane to inform their status so their relatives in the Philippines can be updated on their condition.

The consulate said it will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Residents of Hawaii were bracing for a rare landfall by a powerful hurricane as they stocked up on water, food and emergency supplies.

Hurricane Lane, which weakened slightly to a category 4 storm overnight, is packing 155-mile (250-kilometer)-per-hour winds and was expected to reach the archipelago’s Big Island by nightfall Wednesday.

President Donald Trump urged residents to prepare for the storm, which was expected to bring torrential rains, high winds and dangerous surf.

“Everyone in the path of #HurricaneLane please prepare yourselves, heed the advice of State and local officials, and follow @NWSHonolulu for updates. Be safe!” he tweeted.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said a hurricane warning has been issued for Maui County and Hawaii County while a hurricane watch was in effect in Kauai and Oahu.

“The center of Lane will track dangerously close to the Hawaiian Islands from Thursday through Saturday,” it said.

It added that though Lane is forecast to weaken in the next 48 hours it will remain a dangerous hurricane as it nears the Hawaiian Islands.

In preparation for the latest storm, state officials have closed schools and public offices in the counties affected while residents rushed to stores to stock up on water, food and other supplies. Many were also boarding up their houses.

Governor David Ige on Tuesday declared a state of emergency on Big Island to help provide relief for damage from the hurricane.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) associate administrator Jeff Byard said authorities were bracing for the worst, stocking up on emergency food and water and readying shelters.

“We have emergency food in the form of MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) and water that are currently on all four counties of the state,” he said.

“And we’re also working with the private sector, with the grocery retailers, to make sure that we are working in a coordinated fashion to provide food for a number of days should we lose power in a catastrophic manner.”

He said FEMA was also working with utility companies to co-ordinate the repair of any damaged power infrastructure.