As emergency shelters opened, rain began to pour and cellphone alerts went out, the approaching hurricane started to feel real for Hawaii residents.

Hurricane Lane was forecast to continue its northwest turn into the islands Thursday, which would make it the most powerful storm to hit Hawaii since Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

B次元官网网址淓veryone is starting to buckle down at this point,B次元官网网址� said Christyl Nagao of Kauai. B次元官网网址淥ur families are here. We have businesses and this and that. You just have to man your fort and hold on tight.B次元官网网址�

Officials opened shelters on the Big Island and on the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai on Wednesday. They urged those needing to use the Molokai shelter to get there soon because of concerns the main highway on the south coast of the island could become impassable.

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On the island of Oahu, which was put on a hurricane warning late Wednesday, shelters were scheduled to open Thursday. Officials were also working to help HawaiiB次元官网网址檚 sizeable homeless population, many of whom live near beaches and streams that could flood.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Tom Travis said thereB次元官网网址檚 not enough shelter space statewide and advised those who are not in flood zones to stay home.

Officials warned the limited shelter space should be a B次元官网网址渓ast resortB次元官网网址� and arenB次元官网网址檛 designed to withstand winds greater than about 40 mph (64.3 kph).

B次元官网网址淲henever possible, the public should plan to shelter in place or stay with family or friends in homes outside of these hazard areas that were designed, built, or renovated to withstand anticipated conditions,B次元官网网址� the city and county of Honolulu said in a news release.

Hurricanes are ranked 1 to 5 according to what is known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricane Lane is at Category 4, which means winds from 130 to 156 mph (251 kph).

The Big Island was already starting to see LaneB次元官网网址檚 first effects, Gov. David Ige said at a news conference Wednesday.

The hurricaneB次元官网网址檚 outer rain bands were bringing showers to some parts of the island, said Matt Foster, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The eastern side of the island picked up nearly 3 inches (7.62 centimetres) of rain in three hours, Foster said.

Melanie Davis, who lives in a suburb outside Honolulu, said she was gathering canned food and baby formula.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e getting some bags of rice and of course, some Spam,B次元官网网址� she said of the canned lunch meat thatB次元官网网址檚 popular in Hawaii.

She was organizing important documents into a folder B次元官网网址� birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, insurance paperwork B次元官网网址� and making sure her three children, all under 4, have flotation devices such as swimming vests B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渏ust in case.B次元官网网址�

Public schools were closed for the rest of the week and local government workers were told to stay home unless theyB次元官网网址檙e essential employees.

Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier said Lane may drop to a Category 3 by Thursday afternoon but that would still be a major hurricane.

B次元官网网址淲e expect it to gradually weaken as it gets closer to the islands,B次元官网网址� Chevalier said. B次元官网网址淭hat being said, on our current forecast, as of the afternoon on Thursday, we still have it as a major hurricane.B次元官网网址�

The central Pacific gets fewer hurricanes than other regions, with about only four or five named storms a year. Hawaii rarely gets hit. The last major storm to hit was Iniki in 1992. Others have come close in recent years.

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B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e planning on boarding up all our windows and sliding doors,B次元官网网址� Napua Puaoi of Wailuku, Maui, said after buying plywood from Home Depot. B次元官网网址淎s soon as my husband comes home B次元官网网址� he has all the power tools.B次元官网网址�

Puaoi was 12 when Iniki hit Hawaii.

B次元官网网址淲hen it did happen, I just remember, pandemonium, it was all out craziness,B次元官网网址� she said.

Unlike Florida or Texas, where residents can get in their cars and drive hundreds of miles to safety, people in Hawaii are confined to the islands.

Instead, they must stay put and make sure they have enough supplies to outlast prolonged power outages and other potential emergencies.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has several barges with food, water and supplies that it moved into the region ahead of Hurricane Hector, which skirted past the islands more than a week ago, according to FEMA Administrator Brock Long.

The U.S. Navy was moving its ships and submarines out of Hawaii. All vessels not currently undergoing maintenance were being positioned to help respond after the storm, if needed.

The Associated Press

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