Hurricane Lane's Wrath Unleashes On Hawaii
HONOLULU (CBSNewYork) -- Flash floods, whipping winds and roads blocked on the Big Island are among the troubles facing residents as Hurricane Lane unleashes on Hawaii.
"Hawaii is going to be impacted by Hurricane Lane, the question is how bad?" said FEMA administrator Brock Long.
Torrential rains have already been falling, reports CBS2's Valerie Castro.
A neighborhood in Hilo became a lake, forcing one person to swim to safety before help arrived.
Elsewhere children played in the floodwaters.
The rushing Wailuku River in Hilo attracted a crowd. People stood on a bridge during a break in the rain to capture video and pictures, still hopeful the storm will soften it's blow.
"I've seen it get raging before, but I still feel like we're going to be blessed and we're going to be OK," said Hawaii resident Sarah Kulla.
But emergency officials are warning the risk of major destruction is very real.
"We are extremely concerned about the potentials for inland flooding, landslides occurring, and damage to the communications infrastructure," said Long. "This is not just going to be over in the next 24 hours. This system is going to be with us for the next four, five days."