Editor's Note: Members of Colorado Task Force 1 left this morning for Hawaii as Hurricane Polo was gaining strength.

Geoff Herbert

syracuse.com

(TNS)

The powerful Hurricane Polo is continuing to churn in the Pacific Ocean as a new storm threatens Hawaii with potentially “catastrophic flooding.”

The Associated Press reports Polo was forecast to maintain Category 5 strength for the next few days with maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour. The hurricane was located about 130 miles south-southwest of Zihuatanejo early Thursday and already causing rain and strong winds along the beaches on Mexico’s coast.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, hurricane-force winds extend up to 40 miles from the eye of Polo and tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 115 miles. Rain and strong waves were already hitting Michoacán state Thursday, while Guerrero state was particularly at risk of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, the hurricane center said.

At the same time, the recently formed Tropical Storm Nolo is forecast to become a hurricane by Thursday night and could hit Hawaii’s Big Island as early as Friday. Forecasters said the storm, located 295 miles from South Point, Hawaii, could drop up to 20 inches of rain.

“That by itself could cause catastrophic flooding, but when you put that on top of grounds that we’ve been raining off and on for the last couple of months … that rain could cause even more damage,” National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist John Bravender said.

A hurricane watch has been issued for Hawaii County and Gov. Josh Green’s office said public schools and state and county offices on the Big Island will be closed Thursday and Friday. Maui County will close schools on Friday due to fears of heavy rain, winds and flooding.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda urged residents to prepare for the storm by clearing drains, trimming vegetation, and packing an emergency kit with food, water and medications. The AP reports Kauai’s electric cooperative also told people to store nonperishable food and potable water, warning of “the possibility of prolonged power outages.”

“You need to take action now,” Bravender added. “Today is really the last dry day you have to get ready.”

If Nolo reaches hurricane strength, there could be three simultaneous hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean. Although not as strong as Polo, Hurricane Odalys was located Thursday about 1,200 miles from the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula with winds of 85 mph.

Hurricane Polo is not currently expected to make landfall, but The New York Post reports some “spaghetti models” show potential remnants could hit U.S. residents along California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas over the next seven to 10 days. Even if the storm stays out to sea, it could cause large swells, dangerous rip currents and muggy tropical air — or coastal flooding if it collides with high tides Monday and Tuesday.

In the Atlantic Ocean, no hurricanes have formed to date this year. Tropical Storm Fay re-formed early Thursday with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph, according to the hurricane center.

It’s the longest season without a hurricane in the Atlantic since 1914. Meanwhile, the Pacific has recorded 16 named storms this year with at least six others (Fausto, Genevieve, Karina, Lala, Lowell, Marie) becoming hurricanes.

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