By Roy Mabasa
The Philippine government on Thursday reiterated its call to the 375,000 members of the Filipino community in Hawaii to brace themselves for the onslaught of Hurricane Lane, which is expected to make a landfall in the next several hours.
This NOAA image shows Hurricane Lane on August 21, 2018 as headed toward the Hawaiian islands, where hurricane warnings and watches have been issue (NOAA/CIMSS/AFP / Jose ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In an updated advisory, the Foreign Affairs office in Manila urged the Filipino community to prepare their emergency kits and heed all the warnings and directives of Hawaii State and Federal government authorities, as well as specific warnings in their respective areas.
The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu will be operating half day on August 23 (Thursday, Hawaii time) and will be closed on August 24 (Friday) to ensure the safety of its personnel and its clients as the Pali Highway leading to the Consulate General will be closed on Thursday night.
Earlier, Consul General Joselito Jimeno said a hurricane warning is in effect for the Big Island (Hawaii Island) and Maui, while a hurricane watch is in effect for Oahu, where Honolulu is located, and Kauai Island.
Authorities in Hawaii earlier said Hurricane Lane - a category 4 storm - is likely to cause catastrophic damage with winds of up to 155 mph (miles per hour) or above.
"We have advised the members of the Filipino Community to prepare emergency kits good for 14 days, as well as heed all the warnings and advise of Hawaii State and Federal government authorities and the specific warnings for their areas," Jimeno said in his report to the home office in Manila.
State officials led by Governor David Ige earlier issued an emergency proclamation for the entire state to mobilize emergency agencies ahead of the hurricane, described as the most dangerous to hit the islands in 25 years.
Jimeno said Hurricane Lane is expected to bring in torrential rains, lightning, tornadoes, and floods.
The consul general echoed the warning conveyed by Aloha state officials, saying there is not enough shelter space to meet the "estimated demands" of the population.
"Filipino nationals in the affected areas are advised to inform the Consulate General so it could update their relatives in the Philippines of their conditions. It also stands ready to provide assistance to anyone who will be affected by the hurricane," the Filipino diplomat said.