Tropical Storm Moke Strengthens, Threatens Hawaii

Tropical Storm Moke strengthened slightly on Friday night as it tracked toward Hawaii's Big Island, prompting warnings of life-threatening flooding and mudslides for a region still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Lala just one week earlier. The storm, which formed Friday afternoon, was centered roughly 470 miles southeast of Hilo as of early Saturday morning, with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Forecasters said Moke was moving west-northwest at 12 mph and was expected to pass south of the Big Island late Saturday night, then south of the smaller main Hawaiian Islands on Sunday and Monday. While the storm is forecast to remain below hurricane strength, with winds potentially peaking near 60 mph before weakening, the primary concern is heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the Big Island from late Saturday night through Monday afternoon, warning that 5 to 10 inches of rain could fall, with localized amounts up to 15 inches possible on the windward and southeast slopes.

The threat is particularly acute because the ground remains saturated from Hurricane Lala, which dumped more than...