HONOLULU – The Hawaii Tourism Authority is urging visitors to be alert and be ready for Hurricane Lane.

“Visitors should heed the advice of civil defense officials, as well as our airline, hotel and tourism industry professionals as they do a consistently excellent job of taking care of guests during times of crisis,” said George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. “Visitors who have trips planned to Hawaii should check with their airline and accommodation providers to see if travel adjustments need to be made.”

Residents and visitors are strongly encouraged to be prepared with access to a supply of food and water and take shelter as the hurricane passes the islands until the all clear is given. Extremely high winds, dangerous surf, torrential rainfall and flash flooding on all islands are all potential threats.

“This is a dangerous hurricane that is a very serious threat to Hawaii. Everyone should focus on staying safe and avoiding any situation that puts them in harm’s way,” he said. “The state and counties are working collaboratively to bring all of our government resources to bear to protect our people and communities.”

Gov. David Ige yesterday signed an emergency proclamation, as did mayors for each of the counties, which eases the process for each of the government entities to perform emergency management functions to protect people and support recovery efforts. This includes shelters being opened, schools closed, streams cleared, and emergency equipment, food and other assets pre-positioned to help people and communities cope with the effects of Hurricane Lane.

Overnight, Hurricane Lane weakened slightly to a Category 4 status. Forecasters from the National Weather Service expect the hurricane to continue weakening in the coming days as the massive storm completes its pass close to the Hawaiian Islands.

Today, the National Weather Service reported the center of Hurricane Lane was approximately 250 miles south of the island of Hawaii and moving at a speed of 8 miles per hour in a west-northwesterly track, with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour. The hurricane is projected to pass south of the island of Hawaii starting as soon as late tonight.

The hurricane is projected to pass south, but close to Maui, Lanai and Molokai starting Thursday afternoon, and Oahu and Kauai sometime Friday lasting through Saturday.

Currently, a hurricane warning is in effect for the island of Hawaii, as well as the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai, which means that hurricane conditions are expected within a specified area. A hurricane watch is in effect for Oahu and Kauai, which means that hurricane conditions are possible.