Tropical Storm Daniel Update

Tropical Storm Daniel, the first of the season to enter Hawaiian waters, is on track to batter all the Islands from Thursday night through midday Saturday. Emergency managers statewide urged residents to update their family emergency plans and to stay alert to the storm's progress. "It could help save your family if it does hit," said Jim Weyman, director of the National Weather Service's Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Daniel, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph at 11 p.m. yesterday, was downgraded yesterday from a hurricane to a tropical storm. Its predicted track takes it directly over the Big Island, which weather forecaster Norman Hui said could see a maximum of 10 inches of rain starting after midnight Friday morning and sustained winds at close to 60 mph. That might be enough to cause flooding or damage property. "It's a little too soon to know what effect this will have on our island, but this is the first storm of the season, and we really need to get people on board on emergency preparedness," said Troy Kindred, Hawai'i County civil defense administrator. Big Island stores reported no runs on emergency supplies yesterday, but Civil Defense officials statewide urged residents to update their emergency supplies and review family disaster plans. Hui said the center of the storm is now expected to pass south of the other islands, but even at the fringe of the tropical storm, O'ahu could experience sustained winds of 45 mph with gusts to as much as 50 or 60 mph late Friday. If a rain band crosses the island, Honolulu could have 4 to 6 inches of rain, and up to as much as 10 inches, he said. "This is coming right at us. I'm an eternal optimist — I'm hoping this thing will not materialize — but we're actively planning for it," said Bill Balfour, O'ahu Civil Defense acting administrator. http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060725/NEWS12/607250342 Disaster preparedness — Are we ready?A six-part special report examines how well Hawai'iis prepared for a hurricane and other natural disasters.