Any news about our friends in Maui?

[Doug]

Devastating fires have destroyed much of Lahaina, Hawaii.   Hurricane Dora is passing on the south side of the islands.  The hurricane-force winds have stoked the fire.

[trottigy]

It looks awful!! I remember visiting Lahaina.

 

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/maui-wildfires-08-09-23/index.html

 

Quote

Maui County officials closed all roads to public use in the town of Lahaina as the fires on the island continue to spread.

West Maui is also closed off to all traffic, according to an update from Maui County. Only emergency personnel will be allowed into that part of the island.

Evacuations continue to be issued across Maui, and a county press release said that an evacuation site had to be moved to “place evacuees away from impacted Lahaina town.”

Lahaina is a census-designated place with a population of just under 13,000 people as of 2020. Lahaina resident Alan Dickar earlier posted video of several buildings on fire along Front Street, a popular thoroughfare in the area.

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

Looks like the hurricane driven winds will be dying down later on today...

 

Quote

 

Strong winds expected to slowly subside over Hawaii later today

From CNN's Brandon Miller

 

Hurricane Dora and the high pressure over the northern Pacific, which are combining to create strong winds over Hawaii, are moving westward during the day today and should allow the winds to slowly lessen this afternoon. 

 

“Expect slow decreasing wind speed trends across the Hawaiian Islands today,” the National Weather Service office in Honolulu said early Wednesday morning.

 

“Strong winds coupled with low humidity levels are producing dangerous fire weather conditions that will last through the afternoon hours,” the NWS said. Winds in the past hour have gusted as high as 66 mph on Maui.

 

By Thursday, a return to more typical breezy trade winds is expected over the islands. There is also expected to be some rain on Maui, though it will mostly be over the typically rainy eastern half of the island and not as likely over the regions affected by the fire.

 

[ChrisW]

I know our brothers (JW News) will keep us updated as soon as they can. 

[Friends just call me Ross]

Some video of the destruction...

 

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

 

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, trottigy said:

It looks awful!! I remember visiting Lahaina.

 

We have vacationed in South Kihei and went to the KH in Lahaina 😟

[Tortuga]

Here is a strange coincidence, or arson.

 

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/08/06/westboro-baptist-church-claims-hawaii-utterly-destroyed-sunday/5721691347013/

Edited August 9, 2023 by Tortuga

[ChrisW]

12 minutes ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

 

How Scary!

[Tortuga]

The KH is (was) on Front St.

[ChrisW]

Looking at our website, there is a Kingdom Hall on Front St. in Lahaina.  I do hope our brothers and sisters are OK.

[Tortuga]

We know a brother in Maui that told us that Kihei, Kula and Laheina are devastated. He didn't give any details so that's all I know so far.

[Lewis]

From what I read, it was a freak combination of Typhoon Dora and high pressure system in the pacific known as Kona Storm or Kona Low. The warming of the Ocean may have played a big part in this.

[Qapla]

But - did Typhoon Dora or a Kona Storm or Kona Low start the fire or did they just help spread a fire that started some other way?

 

How did the warming of the ocean start a fire? Water usually puts fire out.

 

 

[Tortuga]

1 minute ago, Qapla said:

But - did Typhoon Dora or a Kona Storm or Kona Low start the fire or did they just help spread a fire that started some other way?

A local weather reporter pointed out that Dora was 600-800 miles to the south and the normal trade winds blow in from the north-east, so he didn't think Dora affected the fire at all. Lahaina is on the leeward side of the island and the trade winds would be hot and dry. He stated the trade winds would fan the flames, but he didn't give any indication how the fires may have started.

[Doug]

3 minutes ago, Qapla said:

But - did Typhoon Dora or a Kona Storm or Kona Low start the fire or did they just help spread a fire that started some other way?

 

 

It was a worst-case scenario.  According to the Lieutenant Governor they were prepared for heavy rain due to the typhoon.  But the rain didn't happen.

 

On top of that, they are in a drought .  So, the fires had strong, north-east, 50-70 mph winds and dry fuel to rip through.

[Tortuga]

The last time we visited Lahaina was in 2007, I have pictures of the world's oldest banyan tree on Front St, I'm sure it's gone now.

The Kingdom Hall is on Front St and in 2007 it had a brand-new front door. One of the brothers told me that a local brother thought the old door looked bad, so he decided to replace it with a new door and side panels. Unfortunately, he didn't tell anyone what he was doing, and the new door didn't meet the fire code. So, the brothers had to pay to replace the new door.  

[Qapla]

I understand how high winds can spread fires - I have experienced wildfires and wind ... bad combination. However, unless lightning hit something or the winds destroyed electric lines that caused sparks, the winds would not have burned anything. There must have been a fire already burning for the winds to spread it ... so, what caused the fires in the first place?

 

It is just that some are saying the storm and/or ocean "caused" the wildfires. They may have helped spread them but most likely, a person caused the fires.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Qapla

[Tortuga]

10 minutes ago, Qapla said:

They may have helped spread them but most likely, a person caused the fires.

Agreed. There are actually several separate fires, I assume someone is asking the Westboro Baptist Church about it..

 

Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The controversial Westboro Baptist Church, based in Kansas, claimed that Hawaii will be "utterly destroyed" on Sunday.

"The churches of Hawaii have doomed the inhabitants with lies about the eternal God," Westboro Baptist Church said in a statement announcing a protest at three churches in Hawaii. "The watchers must (and will) publicly pronounce the warning on Sunday."

The Westboro Baptist Church said its members will picket outside of Grace Bible Church and King's Cathedral in Kahului as well as Wailuku Union Church in Wailuku.

It was not immediately clear why the church would travel from Topeka to Maui to protest the three congregations or how the church believes Hawaii will be destroyed. UPI has reached out to the churches for comment.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Tortuga

[Tia]

Wow...

That article of the controversial church is showing in many news articles including the Jerusalem Post! 

Many deeply heartfelt prayers for our brothers and sisters - as well as others that are affected  by this tragedy - a 

young man was on speaking about how he and had escaped and is praying for his family - also how he knew of course it was

a lot more than 6 who perished because they saw many deceased ones along the way of escape.  

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Tia

[tekmantwo]

I just saw a news article saying the death toll is now at 36...

 

https://www.dw.com/en/maui-fire-death-toll-jumps-to-36-after-devastating-blaze/a-66490234?mobileApp=true

[Tortuga]

Several fires on the Big Island started about the same time.

 

https://bigislandnow.com/2023/08/09/hawaii-firefighters-continue-to-battle-3-wildfires-on-wednesday-in-north-and-south-kohala/

[coolbrz731]

12 hours ago, Tortuga said:

I have pictures of the world's oldest banyan tree on Front St, I'm sure it's gone now.

The banyan tree is still standing

 

[Qapla]

1 hour ago, coolbrz731 said:

The banyan tree is still standing

 

How about the KH?

[tekmantwo]

4 hours ago, Qapla said:

How about the KH?

If I did this right--

 

The Hall is just the other side of the rectangular building, where my pointer is..