Hurricane Lane: Hawaii Braces Itself for ‘Life-Threatening’ Category 5 Storm

Hurricane Lane, the potentially life-threatening storm that’s churning its way toward Hawaii, has been upgraded to a Category 5. On Tuesday night, the National Weather Service announced the hurricane is likely to cause catastrophic damage, with winds 157 mph or higher as well as heavy rainfall that could cause deadly flash-flooding. Hurricane Lane “is forecast to move dangerously close to the main Hawaiian Islands as a hurricane later this week, potentially bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flash flooding from heavy rainfall,” the weather service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center warned. The NWS issued a hurricane warning for the main island and a hurricane watch for Oahu, Maui, and other smaller islands—tropical winds and excessive rain could arrive Wednesday.