Storm now a hurricane as another looms
Karina reached hurricane status Thursday as it proceeded on a westward track that is expected to bring it to the Central Pacific next week.
The National Hurricane Center said Thursday afternoon that Hurricane Karina, 2,400 miles east-southeast of Hilo, was headed west at 16 mph. The storm’s five-day track has it remaining at hurricane strength early next week as it heads closer to the Central Pacific.
Its maximum sustained winds increased to 75 mph as of 11 a.m. Thursday, making it a Category 1 hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center is also issuing advisories for a weather system that crossed into the Central Pacific on Thursday.
The system, about 1,100 miles east-southeast of the Big Island, has a 60 percent chance of forming into a tropical cyclone within the next two days.
"Although shower and thunderstorm activity has changed little during the past several hours, gradual development of this disturbance is expected during the next few days and a tropical depression could form by late Friday or Saturday," forecasters said Thursday.
Sailor is rescued after his boat sinks
The Coast Guard rescued a man floating in a life raft 7 miles south of Diamond Head after his boat sank.
The man’s 41-foot sailing vessel, Esperanza, went down in 300 feet of water Tuesday after it hit something hard, took on water and rapidly sank, the Coast Guard said.
A woman called the Coast Guard, telling officials her friend had gone sailing and sent a text message to her at 9:05 p.m. saying he needed help. It gave his position and asked her to "send the Coast Guard."
The Coast Guard diverted a 45-foot response boat, and its crew members found the mariner holding his activated, blinking emergency position indicating radio beacon, or EPIRB, and GPS tracker.
The first signal from the EPIRB was received at 9:26 p.m., and the precise location was identified at 9:50 p.m.
The Coast Guard did not provide any information on the man’s age or residency.
The Coast Guard recommends boaters have a VHF radio, EPIRBs and flares.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Project aims to ease transit
Kauai County officials broke ground Wednesday on the $7.89 million Hardy Street improvement project, which will allow people to park their car or bicycle in one spot and safely walk to Lihue town to do their business. They can also ride the Kaua‘i Bus.
The project, spanning 0.7 miles from Kuhio Highway to Rice Street, will create two travel lanes with landscaped median islands, turn lanes, bike lanes, on-street parking, planter strips and sidewalks running the entire length.
In addition, the project will provide an improved and expanded bus bay, bus stop and bus shelters on Hardy Street next to the Lihue Civic Center.
The project’s goal, as part of the Complete Streets concept, is “to safely accommodate bicyclists, transit riders, motorists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho.
The target completion date is the fall of next year.
Red Cross truck found by police
HILO >> The American Red Cross says a truck that was stolen as a storm approached the Big Island has been found and is being used to help the hard-hit Puna region.
The Red Cross Hawaii Chapter pleaded for the return of its only emergency truck on the Big Island after it was stolen Aug. 6 in Hilo.
Hawaii Chapter spokeswoman Krislyn Yano said police found the truck the next day, with silver spray paint over the Ford F-150’s Red Cross logos. She said the truck is operational and that workers were able to use it just in time to deliver supplies and conduct assessments after Tropical Storm Iselle made landfall in Puna.
Star-Advertiser staff and Associated Press
