Tropical Depression Expected To Drop Heavy Rain On Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) _ A tropical depression was expected to bring flooding, strong winds and high waves when it churns past Hawaii's Big Island late Friday, weather officials said. <br/><br/>The storm could

Friday, July 20th 2007, 7:31 am

By: News On 6

HONOLULU (AP) _ A tropical depression was expected to bring flooding, strong winds and high waves when it churns past Hawaii's Big Island late Friday, weather officials said.

The storm could drop 5 to 10 inches of rain on the state's southernmost landmass and pound it with 11-foot waves, the National Weather Service said.

The depression, which was this year's first Pacific tropical cyclone named Cosme before it weakened earlier this week, will bring sustained winds near 35 mph as it passes 170 miles south of the Big Island into early Saturday, said Robert Ballard, science and operations officer for the Weather Service.

``The biggest threat people need to pay attention to is the rains, floods and possible thunderstorms,'' Ballard said. ``We want people to remember to play it safe. Don't drive into areas where water covers the road.''

A flash flood watch, which means that flooding is possible but not imminent, remains in effect through Saturday afternoon. Officials also issued a wind advisory for summits on the Big Island and Maui, where gusts could reach 50 mph, Ballard said.

``This is probably not the best weekend for camping,'' said Troy Kindred, administrator for Hawaii County Civil Defense. ``The effects of the storm could vary quite a bit.''

At 5 p.m. EDT, the center of the tropical depression was about 270 miles southeast of Hilo. It was moving west at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

Cosme was a tropical storm Monday when it was upgraded to hurricane status as its winds intensified to 75 to 80 mph. But it was downgraded to a tropical storm the next morning after its winds dropped below 74 mph. It further weakened to a tropical depression.