With a type of cyclone called a “kona low” heading for the island state, Democratic Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a state of emergency Monday afternoon as heavy rains and widespread flooding is expected, the New York Times reports.
Coming from a southerly direction, a kona low typically stalls over land masses, dropping tons of rain on land formations that typically don’t get a lot of rainfall, raising the risk of mudslides. Rainfalls of 15 inches are expected around the state, with some areas getting as much as 25 inches.
Oahu, the home of Honolulu and the most populous island in the state, is expected to get the heaviest rain from Monday night into Tuesday morning. More than 5,000 households were without power Monday evening (local time), and two highways have already been shut down because of the storm.