Tropical Storm Barbara

Tropical Storm Barbara is expected to become Hurricane Barbara by Tuesday according to the National Hurricane Center.

Even so it’s still a long way from threatening the Hawaiian islands according to local National Weather Service officials in Honolulu.

“We’ve got our eye on it. We’ll take over monitoring it (from the National Hurricane Center) once it passes the 140th west longitude,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Gavin Shigesato. “That could possibly be around Saturday or Sunday depending on how fast it’s moving.”

Currently Barbara is moving at 16 mph and has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. Earlier this month the Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) reminded all residents that now is the time to prepare for a potential hurricane event, and noted that all family emergency kits should have a minimum of 14 days of food, water, and other supplies.

“We advocate for a 14-day recommendation because of Hawai’i’s location in the Pacific during a disaster,” said Thomas Travis, Administrator of HI-EMA. “Everyone who plans ahead and prepares an emergency kit helps not only themselves, but they also help their entire community deal with a disaster.”

Maui Now Meteorologist Malika Dudley has a comprehensive emergency kit list and demonstration video for those who want to know more about how to put one together.

The Pacific Hurricane Season lasts from June to November.