Millions of Americans are bracing for potentially life-threatening impacts from three hurricanes forming in the Pacific Ocean as they approach US shores and islands over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Forecasters have issued warnings for dangerous surf, rip currents, and heavy rainfall in Hawaii and California.
Hurricane Lowell, a Category 3 storm, is on a path to threaten the Hawaiian Islands, with potential direct impacts on Kauai or Oahu as early as Labor Day. AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva anticipates that Lowell's size will bring significant effects to the western Hawaiian Islands, including heavy rain, strong winds, and possible power outages. Forecasts suggest Lowell will remain a major hurricane through the holiday weekend, potentially affecting over a million residents and tourists across the islands. An additional concern includes the development of a large atmospheric river east of Lowell, which could bring heavy rain and flooding to islands like Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island even before the hurricane arrives.
Hurricane Marie, a Category 2 storm, is moving up the coast of Mexico and poses a threat to the California coast. While prediction models indicate Marie may weaken to a tropical depression before reaching land, it is expected to bring drenching downpours to Southern California, including Los Angeles and San Diego. The National Hurricane Center has warned of life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents along crowded beaches and shorelines due to swells generated by Marie. These conditions could impact vacationers in popular destinations like Los Angeles and San Diego, where hotel occupancy was high for the holiday weekend.
Two major forecasting models, the American and European models, show a strong possibility that Marie could make landfall in Southern California. Approximately half of the predicted tracks show the storm entering the coast near cities such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Clara, and Santa Barbara. The remaining predictions suggest Marie will stay at sea and dissipate. Forecast models are subject to change as storms develop and approach land.
A third hurricane, Karina, a Category 2 storm, is also present in the Pacific. While it has turned away from California, Karina could influence the path of Hurricane Lowell towards Hawaii. Depending on Karina's westward movement, it might stall Lowell and pull it directly towards the islands, or steer it away if it interacts with an upper-level low-pressure system differently.
The National Hurricane Center has cautioned that conditions along beaches in both Hawaii and California could be hazardous, emphasizing the risk posed by strong, narrow channels of water flowing quickly away from the shore, known as rip currents. These currents can exhaust swimmers and pull them into deeper water.
