HONOLULU (AP) – A powerful hurricane that threatened Hawaii for a week is weakening and is now a tropical storm.
But meteorologists are warning heavy rains could still wallop the islands with flash flooding and landslides.
Lane dumped nearly 3 feet of rain on parts of the Big Island of Hawaii over the past two days, forcing residents to flee their flooded homes in waist-high water.
Bodyboarders jump into the surf along Waikiki Beach ahead of Hurricane Lane, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Friday that people need to be vigilant and not let their guard down. But he says the good news is Lane got weak and fell apart.
Upper-level winds known as shear swiftly tore Lane apart south of Honolulu.
The National Weather Service says Lane has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 mph) as it slowly heads west.
A boogie boarder walks near the surf at Makapu’u Beach, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Waimanalo, Hawaii. As Hurricane Lane approaches Oahu, large ocean swells have impacted the coastline. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
This photo provided by Jessica Henricks shows damage from Hurricane Lane Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, near Hilo, Hawaii. Hurricane Lane barreled toward Hawaii on Friday, dumping torrential rains that inundated the Big Island’s main city as people elsewhere stocked up on supplies and piled sandbags to shield oceanfront businesses against the increasingly violent surf. The city of Hilo, population 43,000, was flooded with waist-high water. (Jessica Henricks via AP)
In this photo provided by Jessica Henricks, is flooding and damage from Hurricane Lane Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, near Hilo, Hawaii. Hurricane Lane barreled toward Hawaii on Friday, dumping torrential rains that inundated the Big Island’s main city as people elsewhere stocked up on supplies and piled sandbags to shield oceanfront businesses against the increasingly violent surf. The city of Hilo, population 43,000, was flooded with waist-high water. (Jessica Henricks via AP)
Swimmers get tossed around at Makapu’u Beach, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Waimanalo, Hawaii. As Hurricane Lane approaches Oahu, large ocean swells have impacted the coastline. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
A beachgoer lets her towel fly in the wind on Kailua Beach, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Kailua, Hawaii. Hurricane Lane weakened Friday as it headed toward the Hawaiian islands, bringing torrential rains that immersed a city in waist-deep water and forced people to flee flooding homes, while others at Honolulu’s famed Waikiki Beach jumped off seawalls with boogie boards into the turbulent ocean. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
This photo provided by Jessica Henricks shows damage from Hurricane Lane Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, near Hilo, Hawaii. Hurricane Lane barreled toward Hawaii on Friday, dumping torrential rains that inundated the Big Island’s main city as people elsewhere stocked up on supplies and piled sandbags to shield oceanfront businesses against the increasingly violent surf. The city of Hilo, population 43,000, was flooded with waist-high water. (Jessica Henricks via AP)
A line for a Convenience Store snakes on to the sidewalk near Waikiki Beach ahead of Hurricane Lane, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Honolulu. Many of the stores in the area were closed ahead of the storm. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A woman walks by a boarded up store near Waikiki Beach ahead of Hurricane Lane, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/John Locher)
People stand along sea cliffs on the southeast shore of Oahu as Hurricane Lane approaches, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, near Honolulu. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)
In this Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, an official with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources transfers about 2,000 rare Hawaiian snails from a mountain marsh to administrative offices in Honolulu as Hurricane Lane approaches. (Department of Land and Natural Resources Photo via AP)
In this Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, an official with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources transfers about 2,000 rare Hawaiian snails from a mountain marsh to administrative offices in Honolulu as Hurricane Lane approaches. (Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Photo via AP)
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.