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| Forecasters expect the center of Hurricane Hector to pass about 150 miles south of Hawaii. Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
By Ed Adamczyk, Danielle Haynes and Daniel Uria, UPI
A tropical storm watch remained in effect for parts of Hawaii's Big Island on Monday as Hurricane Hector moved west, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.
The watch was in effect for Hawai'i County, the same county where Kilauea Volcano has wreaked havoc for three months, destroying more than 700 structures.
[post_ads]The center of the Category 4 storm was about 735 miles east-southeast of Hilo and 945 east-southeast of Honolulu, the CPHC said in its 5 p.m. HST update. The storm was moving west at 16 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 155. It was expected to gain strength before weakening and bypassing Hawaii to the south by about 150 miles.
Little change in strength was expected for Monday, but some fluctuations in wind speed and a gradual weakening is forecast for Monday night, forecasters said. Forecasters warned late Sunday a slight deviation of its path to the north would significantly increase potential impacts to the state of Hawaii.
Earlier, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency advised residents to prepare an emergency kit that includes at least a 14-day supply of food, water and other supplies.
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