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With no place to run, people in Hawaii brace for hurricane

This image provided by NASA on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018 shows Hurricane Lane as seen from the International Space Station. The National Weather Service says the hurricane will still pack a wallop for Hawaii on Thursday before gradually slowing over the next two days. Early Wednesday, the hurricane was 320 miles (515 kilometers) south of Hilo on Hawaii Island and moving northwest toward other islands. (NASA via AP)
This image provided by NASA on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018 shows Hurricane Lane as seen from the International Space Station. The National Weather Service says the hurricane will still pack a wallop for Hawaii on Thursday before gradually slowing over the next two days. Early Wednesday, the hurricane was 320 miles (515 kilometers) south of Hilo on Hawaii Island and moving northwest toward other islands. (NASA via AP)

By Associated Press 5 min read

HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii residents emptied store shelves Wednesday, claimed the last sheets of plywood to board up windows and drained gas pumps as Hurricane Lane churned toward the state.

The category 4 storm could slam into the islands Thursday with winds exceeding 100 mph (161 kph), making it the most powerful storm to hit Hawaii since Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

Unlike Florida or Texas, where residents can get in their cars and drive hundreds of miles to safety, people in Hawaii are confined to the islands and can’t outrun the powerful winds and driving rain.

Instead, they must stay put and make sure they have enough supplies to outlast prolonged power outages and other potential emergencies.

“Everyone is starting to buckle down at this point,” said Christyl Nagao of Kauai. “Our families are here. We have businesses and this and that. You just have to man your fort and hold on tight.”