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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Felicia dissipates, leaving minimal impact


Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Although the huge Felicia-generated surf did not materialize in the morning, there was enough of a swell to provide decent waves for surfers who turned out at Sandy Beach, pictured, and Makapuu today.

BRUCE ASATO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

NOAA

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Felicia further dissipated into a remnant low pressure system this afternoon.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center said it would no longer be issuing advisories on the storm.
The system was a tropical depression when it started bringing some rains to Maui County today.
Though some locally heavy rainfall was seen, no major problems were reported.
Twelve-hour rainfall totals as of 8 p.m. were light throught the state. Only four rain gauges, mostly in forested areas, in the state reported more than an inch of rain. Three were on Maui.
Felicia had been a Category 4 hurricane in the Eastern Pacific.
What was once Felicia is now located about 95 miles east of Kahului.
It is not likely to redevelop into a cyclone as it continues to move west.
No watches or warnings remain in effect.

Earlier today, State Civil Defense officials said though the storm doesn’t appear to pose any major threat anymore, they plan to remain on high alert until Felicia passes over the state completely.

Civil Defense spokesman Ray Lovell said the storm still has the potential to cause locally heavy rainfall and high winds.

“There still could be scattered damage,” he said. “As long as there are still potential effects from it, we will stay operating.”

The National Weather Service earlier said Felicia is likely to deliver only moderate showers in the next couple of days as it passes over Maui County and Oahu.

Jim Weyman, director of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, said the system could drop 2 to 3 inches of rain in parts of Oahu, with heavier rainfall possible in some areas.
Oahu will see some showers from Felicia this afternoon, but the heaviest rains are expected to fall tonight, Weyman said.
He added though the rainfall totals are nowhere near the 10 to 12 inches that were being forecast for Oahu a few days ago, heavy rains could still cause some localized flooding and other problems.
“If all this rain came very quickly, there might be some flooding occurring,” he said.
As the leading edges of Felicia began to brush Maui County this morning, officials reported minimal weather conditions.
“It’s very moist, very cloudy, and some shower bands are coming through,” Maui County Civil Defense administrator Gen Iinuma said shortly after 8 a.m.
Iinuma said monitors were in place on Maui, Lanai and Molokai.
So far, he said, there were no reports of heavy rain, strong winds or flooding.
“We’re just going to be watching things the rest of the day,” Iinuma said. “Things are looking good right now, but I don’t want to say anything that could bachi this.
“But all our resources are ready to roll if this thing goes south on us.”
Birchard said moderate showers are forecast for the windward sides of Maui, Molokai and Lanai today. He said Oahu's windward side probably will see showers later today and into the night.
“If you were just a person on the ground who didn’t know what was happening, you would probably think this is just a wet trade wind day,” Birchard said. “You wouldn’t imagine there’s a tropical depression just a hundred miles away.”
Birchard said it actually could turn out to be a sunny day in the Kihei and Lahaina areas of Maui.