KAILUA-KONA — Hawaii residents rushed to grocery stores Tuesday to stock up on bottled water, ramen and toilet paper as they faced the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and high surf from a powerful and erratic hurricane expected to churn close to the islands or directly over them.
Kailua-Kona — often a protected cove when it comes to hurricanes — wasn’t an exception this time around, either.
“It’s been busy all day,” said Target Store Manager Mike Gustafson. “We are selling lots of water, batteries, candles, propane and can goods. School is canceled tomorrow so expect to be busy then, too.”
The purchasing manager ordered extra water in anticipation.
“We still have plenty,” Gustafson said.
Other stores were already running out of some supplies, according to a handful of shoppers. Some Walmart and Longs customers said those stories were out of batteries on Tuesday.
Others were packing in as much as they could elsewhere.
“Rather be safe than sorry,” said Rachel Loando, stocking up at Costco. “The one time you’re not ready is the one time it comes.”
Gustafson added the ports pushed up the frozen and chill delivery by a day, so the store was fully stocked, but they are shutting down the ports on Friday, so that should hamper deliveries later in the week.
Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned as it got closer to the state.
Even if the center of Lane doesn’t make landfall, the islands could be walloped with rain and wind, forecasters said.
The east side of the Big Island has taken the brunt from previous storms and is still reeling after lava from an erupting volcano wiped out entire neighborhoods. But early indications showed that the south end of the island up to the western side — that’s Kona — would be taking the brunt of the storm.
“At this time, it looks like maybe Puna will be spared,” county Managing Director Wil Okabe said of the beleaguered, rural district. “But you never know.”
Still, some Kona residents didn’t seem concerned, at least not yet.
Nainoa Carvalho, fishing on the seawall in Kailua Village, was one of them.
“I’m not getting ready for the hurricane,” he said. “Not worried. I got rain gear. The fish know there’s a storm coming and they’re biting.”
“I’m taking my boat out tonight,” Shayn Takaki added. “A hurricane brings the fish.”
Hawaiian Airlines is waiving change fees for tickets to, from, within and through Hawaii from Tuesday to Sunday.
Some customers were buying cases of bottled water at Island Grocery Depot in Kahului, Maui, manager Brian Arakaki said. He planned to call in more workers to cope with an expected afternoon rush.
“People are getting ready, which is exactly what we want,” Maui County spokesman Rod Antone said. “I know people are taking trips to Costco, buying ramen, rice, the usual. Toilet paper.”
He reminded people to have emergency kits ready and to “withdraw cash. Remember, if the power goes out, ATMs aren’t going to be working.”
On the south side of the Big Island, meanwhile, workers at Mizuno Superette in Pahala also were bracing for a busy afternoon.
“Right now, it’s nice, everybody’s calm,” said Carla Andrade, a store clerk. “When everybody finishes work, they’ll have time.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.