HAWAII BRACES FOR CATASTROPHIC FLOODING AS HURRICANE NOLO APPROACHES, WHILE MEXICO FACES THREAT FROM HURRICANE POLO.. (PHOTO).

 Hawaii braces for catastrophic flooding as Hurricane Nolo approaches, while Mexico faces threat from Hurricane Polo 

Residents across Hawaii’s Big Island were preparing for potentially catastrophic flooding Friday as Hurricane Nolo moved toward the state, bringing the threat of torrential rainfall, dangerous mudslides and damaging winds. Meanwhile, Mexico remained on alert as Hurricane Polo strengthened in the Pacific and continued toward the Baja California Peninsula after already bringing damaging conditions to the country’s southwestern coast.

Nolo was approximately 220 miles south of Hawaii’s Big Island on Friday morning, moving northeast. Tropical storm conditions were expected to reach the island Friday evening, with rainfall totals potentially reaching 15 to 30 inches. The storm was forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane by Saturday.

The southeastern portion of the Big Island faced the greatest threat of heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides, particularly in mountainous areas. Although Nolo was not expected to make a direct landfall in Hawaii, other islands, including Maui, could also experience significant rainfall and dangerous flooding.

The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds reached 85 mph Friday morning and were expected to increase as the storm moved closer to the islands.

Hawaii officials urged residents to assemble emergency supplies and prepare for potentially dangerous conditions. The governor issued an emergency proclamation, activating more than 230 members of the Hawaii National Guard. Schools were closed for the remainder of the week as preparations continued.

The storm was expected to bring its heaviest rainfall to the same southeastern region of the Big Island that was struck by Hurricane Lala in August. The ground in the area remained saturated from additional rainfall, increasing concerns about flooding and landslides.

Hawaiian Electric began repositioning crews to prepare for possible power outages. Workers who had been assisting with electricity restoration on Kauai following Hurricane Lowell were returning to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island ahead of Nolo’s arrival.

Residents and visitors were making last-minute preparations, with some expressing concerns about whether they would be able to leave the island if conditions deteriorated.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Polo strengthened dramatically overnight, returning to Category 5 intensity with maximum sustained winds estimated at 180 mph Friday morning.

The powerful storm remained well offshore from western Mexico, moving westward, but was expected to turn north and approach the Baja California Peninsula late Sunday into Monday.

Although no major flooding or widespread damage had been reported along the coast overnight, powerful tides had already affected several communities in the states of Colima and Michoacán.

Residents in coastal areas began reinforcing beachfront businesses with sandbags and evacuating vulnerable homes Thursday. Mexican authorities opened emergency shelters, cleared people from beaches and deployed approximately 15,000 security personnel throughout the affected coastal region. Schools were also closed as officials prepared for the storm’s potential impact.

The port city of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán had already experienced significant damage after seawater swept through homes Thursday. Wooden planks, furniture and other debris littered the streets as residents and government workers cleared away wreckage from destroyed beachfront structures and shoveled thick mud from roads and properties.

Alicia Contreras, whose restaurant was severely damaged by waves reaching approximately 15 feet, said the storm had devastated her business and left her uncertain about how she would recover financially.

With her restaurant’s walls and roof badly damaged, Contreras and her family began sorting through the destruction with help from authorities.

The damage left her worried about her family’s future, particularly because the restaurant was their only source of income.

The powerful storms developing across the Pacific are occurring during an El Niño weather pattern, which can produce significant shifts in global weather conditions. The phenomenon is associated with increased drought in some regions and heavier rainfall in others. It also tends to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity while encouraging tropical cyclone development in the Pacific, where moist air and reduced wind shear can help storms strengthen.

In addition to Nolo and Polo, Hurricane Odalys remained a powerful Category 4 storm in the Pacific, approximately 975 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. With maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, the storm was moving north and had the potential to strengthen further by Friday night.

Two additional powerful storms were active in the Atlantic but remained far from land.

Tropical Storm Fay re-formed early Thursday in the northern Atlantic. By Friday, it was located approximately 1,065 miles west-southwest of the Azores.

Farther south, Tropical Storm Gonzalo strengthened early Friday as it approached the Cabo Verde Islands off the western coast of Africa. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was expected to pass near or over portions of the islands later Friday before gradually weakening over the weekend.