First Tropical Storm DARBY

Original Path Forecast

Makes our island look pretty small!!  (NOAA photo with thanks)

Revised Saturday 7/23  YEP -- it's that time of year again;  It is officially hurricane season and hopefully we won't have a season like last year with over a dozen BIG tropical storms dancing around the islands.  We recall one week in particularly where there were THREE super storms, all hurricane force, encircling us. You can't be sure so it is best to be on the safe side and well prepared.

SAT:  Three inches of rain last night with brunt of storm to hit today. Forecast now is that it will travel right up the island chain --- UNLESS our "storm crunchers" Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa break it up before it heads northwest -- which they have done before..

Final Revision: Meteorologists were excited to document this storm as it is only the second time (since statehood) a hurricane has directly hit the Big Island --- AND scientists could document how the sheer factor of the volcanoes DID in fact disrupt the storm, lessening the blow to the island chain.  YEAH BIG ISLAND!!!

DARBY...our first big one this year should be hitting Saturday, so Friday was the day to get the mowing done, check for loose lawn chairs, empty flower pots, tarps and such.  Phil even went out to put a few more simpson hurricane braces on the underside of the flat carport roof -- just to be on the safe side.

Our local NextDoor conduit of news and information just had a list of things to do -- just in case (thanks Heath.)

• Secure potentially "flying objects" - garbage containers, hanging plants, furniture, umbrellas.
• Stack and secure building materials like roofing, and plywood
• Fill up your vehicles, top off your gas cans.
• Run your generator if you have one.
• Have some extra cash on hand.
• Fill gallon jugs with water -- freeze them for use in the refrigerator and/or freezers.
• Check your propane tanks -- fill them so you can at least cook ont he grill.
• Make sure you have flashlights handy -- with good batteries.