Tropical Storm Moke set to dump more heavy rain on hurricane-stricken
Hawaii
[August 24, 2026]
HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Moke was swirling past
Hawaii on Sunday, close enough to dump heavy rain on Big Island
communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Lala.
The National Hurricane Center located Moke's center about 320 miles (515
kilometers) south-southwest of Hilo around midday. Top sustained winds
were around 40 mph (65 kph), though the real impact was expected from
rainfall in places where last weekend’s hurricane flooded communities,
triggered mudslides and damaged roads and power lines. Two deaths linked
to the hurricane have been reported in Hawaii.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda advised residents in a social media
post Sunday they “should stay off the roads and shelter in place” as a
precaution. He said anyone in need could take refuge at shelters that
the county had opened at several locations.
Forecasters expected Moke to produce as much as 10 inches (25
centimeters) of total rain across the Big Island, and up to 15 inches
(38 centimeters) in some isolated places, enough to cause
life-threatening flooding and mudslides for the windward and southeast
slopes, especially in steep terrain and over areas affected by Lala. The
center of the storm was expected to pass south of the Big Island, then
south of the smaller main islands of Hawaii.
In eastern Maui, up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain was expected,
and the other islands may get an inch or two (between 2.5 and 5
centimeters), according to the hurricane center.
As with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island was expected to bear the brunt of
Moke's rain and winds as the storm moves westward, south of the island
chain. After moving away from the islands, Lala was downgraded and
remained a strong tropical storm on Sunday far out in the Central
Pacific.
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A roadway is washed out by mud on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Naalehu,
Hawaii, following heavy rains from Hurricane Lala. (Aina Akamu via
AP)
The northeast coast of the Big Island saw the heaviest total
rainfall from Lala, at 43.54 inches (1.1 meters), according to the
weather service.
Ahead of Moke's approach, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green urged people to
prepare by restocking food, medicine and other essentials. More than
6,500 customers in the county remained without power Sunday stemming
from Lala, according to poweroutage.us.
In the eastern Pacific, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Iselle formed
earlier Sunday and was gaining strength, far away from Mexico's
southwest coast.
Iselle had top sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) on Sunday
afternoon and was about 535 miles (860 kilometers) southwest of the
southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. No coastal
watches or warnings were in effect for Iselle as it moved to the
northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iselle could become
a hurricane in another day or two and would kick up strong ocean
swells on Baja's western coastline starting Monday.
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