Tropical Storm Moke advances toward Hawaii as winds strengthen

Tropical Storm Moke advances toward Hawaii as winds strengthen 1 of 4 | A woman and child walk past a debris-strewn street in Naalehu, Hawaii, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) 2 of 4 | A teenager wades through a pool of water in a washed-out section of a damaged road in Mountain View, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) 3 of 4 | 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) 4 of 4 | Ka’u Auto Repair Shop is seen surrounded by a field of debris after Hurricane Lala in Naalehu, Hawaii, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) Updated 6:57 PM MESZ, August 22, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Honolulu (AP) — Tropical Storm Moke advanced toward Hawaii Saturday, likely bringing more heavy rainfall and strong gusts to the Big Island, where residents are still dealing with the aftermath of heavy flooding and damaging winds from Hurricane Lala. 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) Moke, which formed Friday in the Pacific Ocean, was located about 470 miles (755 kilometers) southeast of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph), as of 5 a.m. on Saturday in Hawaii. Maximum sustained winds were around 50 mph (85 kph), the National Hurricane Center said. As with Hurricane Lala, the Big Island is expected to bear the brunt of Moke’s rain and heavy winds as it passes south of a direct hit late Saturday into early Sunday. Moke will then continue its westward path near the islands through early Tuesday, said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu. “There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala,” Oswant said. Tropical Storm Moke forms on track to bring heavy rain and winds to Hawaii 1 MIN READ Hawaii’s Big Island under rare hurricane landfall threat as Tropical Storm Lala strengthens 1 MIN READ Hurricane Lala skirts Hawaii’s Big Island without making landfall as heavy wind, rain lash region 1 MIN READ Lala downed trees, swept buildings off their foundations, damaged roads and bridges and left roads covered in mud and rocks. One storm-related death was reported. Ka’u Auto Repair Shop is seen surrounded by a field of debris after Hurricane Lala in Naalehu, Hawaii, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) Rainfall predictions for this weekend for the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island were 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters), with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) in isolated areas, Oswant said. Across the rest of the island chain, 1 to 2 inches (2 to 5 centimeters) of rain was expected, though parts of east Maui could see up to 4 inches (10 centimeters), she said. There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect early Saturday morning, but people were urged to closely monitor the storm’s progress. The rainfall has the potential to cause dangerous rip currents, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep areas and places where the ground remains saturated, the center said. 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. About 9,000 customers on the Big Island remained without power Saturday, according to poweroutage.us. A teenager wades through a pool of water in a washed-out section of a damaged road in Mountain View, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and other state officials held a news conference ahead of Moke, urging people to prepare by restocking food, medicine and other essentials. “There’s definitely tension in the air” at the thought of more rain in communities that floodwaters turned into rivers, said Tiffany Edwards Hunt, a teacher living in Keaau, on the east side of the Big Island. Associated Press reporter Alexa St. John contributed from Detroit.