Pacific Hurricanes Nolo and Polo Prompt Flood and Surf Alerts for Hawaii and Mexico

Hurricane Nolo, located roughly 185 mi south of Hawaii, has strengthened to a major hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph and is expected to bring rainfall of up to 25 inches to the Big Island, raising the risk of flash floods and mudslides on Maui and other islands. State officials have urged residents to stay indoors, assemble emergency kits, and seek shelter, while the governor activated more than 230 Hawaii National Guard members and closed schools in vulnerable zones.

Humanitarian nonprofit CORE and partners are pre-positioning supplies, and locals are filling sandbags at distribution centers. Meanwhile, Hurricane Polo has surged to Category 5 with sustained winds of 180 mph, threatening Mexico's Pacific coast and the Baja California peninsula; ports have been shut, shelters opened, and 15,000 security forces deployed. Coastal towns such as Lázaro Cárdenas have already experienced seawater intrusion and property damage, and wildlife officials relocated olive-ridley turtle eggs from Southern California beaches to the Aquarium of the Pacific. The twin storms highlight the heightened Pacific cyclone activity driven by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.