Hawaii Bracing for Blow from Hurricane Lane

Hawaii is bracing for a grazing blow from Category 5 Hurricane Lane, now packing 160-mile-per-hour winds, enough to collapse frame buildings, cause power outages that could last weeks or months and snap trees off at the root.

The storm was about 505 miles southeast of Honolulu heading northwest at 9 mph, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said at 11 p.m. local time Tuesday.

A hurricane warning has been issued for the Big Island of Hawaii, and watches are in place for Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe from the storm that is forecast to come extremely close to the chain before veering away into the Pacific.

Lane’s hurricane-force winds reach out about 40 miles from its core and while it should weaken as it approaches “Lane is forecast to remain a dangerous hurricane as it draws closer to the Hawaiian Islands.” The first strong winds should reach the Big Island by Thursday.