WATCH: A Vancouver Island family describes the scene of a tropical storm wreaking havoc across Hawaii. Ceilidh Millar reports.
A tropical storm south of Honolulu continues to wreak havoc at sea and on land across Hawaii.
Hurricane Lane was downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday night but continues to batter Hawaii with torrential rains and strong winds.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, the storm dumped nearly four feet of rain which triggered several landslides and forced some residents to flee their homes.
“We dodged a bullet,” said Mayor of Honolulu Kirk Caldwell. “Doesn’t mean this is over. We’re going to have rain and local flooding and we need to be vigilant.”
A fast-moving wildfire caused by the storm’s strong winds has forced more than 100 homes to be evacuated west of Maui.
Kenn Shaw is vacationing in Waikiki for his son’s 19th birthday.
“We were watching the storm and it kind of just fell apart as we watched it,” Shaw explained.
The Victoria resident says conditions have returned to normal in their area.
Shaw says several restaurants have re-opened and many people were out enjoying the beach on Saturday.
“We wanted to ride it out,” Shaw said. “We were having the hurricane drinks and loaded up. Everyone said to stock up so people were going to Costco and all the stores to stock up on water.”
Authorities are warning residents to stay vigilant as heavy rain and flash floods remain a threat as the storm lingers off the Pacific.
“It’s Hawaii after all,” Shaw said. “This is the place to be.”
Both tourists and residents are breathing a sigh of relief at what could have been a much worse situation.
Ceilidh Millar
