Hawaii's big island braces for Hurricane Jimena
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Hurricane Jimena closes on the big island of Hawaii.
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Hurricane Jimena
At 2 a.m. EDT Monday
Latitude: 18.2 degrees north
Longitude: 152.9 degrees west
Position: 175 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii
Top sustained winds: Near 85 mph
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LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Hawaiians braced Sunday for the arrival of Hurricane Jimena, which was expected to pass just south of the popular tourist destination during Monday's Labor Day holiday.
The National Weather Service said the hurricane was located about 175 miles (280 kilometers) southeast of Hilo, a city on the east coast of Hawaii, the largest island in the archipelago, at 2 a.m. EDT Monday. It was moving west at about 17 mph (27 km/h).
The weather service reported maximum sustained winds of nearly 85 mph (136 km/h) with stronger gusts. It warned the hurricane could topple trees and down power lines.
"All ocean and beach activities should be canceled until the danger passes," Hawaii County's Civil Defense Agency warned in a statement issued late Saturday.
The statement said no evacuations have yet been ordered although beach-front residents should remain on alert.
The service said the center of the hurricane was expected to pass about 50 miles south of the island early Monday morning, warning residents that "damaging winds and heavy rains can extend far from the center."
Official records indicate that since 1950, five hurricanes or tropical storms have caused serious damage in the islands. The most recent, Hurricane Iniki in 1992, destroyed or damaged 14,000 homes, mostly on the island of Kauai.
Hawaii's big island draws many tourists with an active volcano and some of the region's best snorkeling among its attractions, although it is not as popular as Oahu, home of Honolulu and the world famous Waikiki Beach, or Maui, the honeymooners' favorite.
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