Canada issues urgent travel advisory for Hawaii
Canadians heading to Hawaii may want to take note of a new travel advisory update issued for the popular tourist destination.
On Thursday, the Government of Canada shared an update to its United States travel advisory, urging tourists to “avoid non-essential travel to Hawaii County.”
According to the statement, Tropical Storm Lala is expected to make landfall on Hawaii County as a hurricane on Saturday, Aug. 15.
“The storm is likely to bring excessive rainfall and violent winds,” warns the government.
Tourists are warned of potentially serious safety risks such as flash flooding and landslides that could severely disrupt essential services such as transportation, power distribution, water and food supply, telecommunications networks, emergency services, and medical care.
Canadians who are already in Hawaii are urged to exercise caution, monitor local news and weather reports, and follow the instructions of local authorities.
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According to the U.S. National Hurricane Centre, “conditions are expected to begin to deteriorate early Saturday” as the hurricane approaches the Big Island.
As of Friday, a hurricane warning is in effect for Hawaii County, while a tropical storm watch is in effect for Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lani, Molokai, and Kahoolawe.
Hurricane warnings are issued when hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area, while a tropical storm watch means conditions are possible within the next 36 to 48 hours.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency urges people to have a plan for a safe place to weather the storm and to ensure they have enough emergency supplies, including food, water, medicine, a radio, and power backups, in a safe place. People should prepare to operate without electricity if high winds cause power outages.
“Please be careful. Have 14 days of supplies at your house; make sure you have your medicines in case the storm gets really serious,” said Hawaii Governor Josh Green in a video shared on X. “Again, please be very careful; it’s a significant storm.”
Visit the National Hurricane Centre and Central Pacific Hurricane Centre’s website for updates.