Hawaii braces for first direct hurricane hit in 22 years

Hawaiians are buying up supplies and boarding up windows, preparing for the first direct hit of a hurricane in 22 years.

“Everybody says this is the last day of good weather, so we came down to the beach,” said Shonna Snodgrass, a tourist in Waikiki visiting from Stafford, Va., CBS News reported.

Hurricane Iselle — which was supposed to weaken over the Pacific but hasn’t — is projected to hit the island on Thursday evening with winds up to 85 miles per hour. Weather forecasters said residents need to be prepared for flooding, with rainfall in the 5- to 8-inch range, CBS News said.

“What ended up happening is the storm has resurged just enough to keep its hurricane strength,” said Mike Cantin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, in the CBS News report. “Not a major hurricane, but definitely enough to blow things around.”