Well, I was partly premature. Daniel definitely bypassed the Big Island, but Maui and the rest of the chain, including Oahu, still may get something. Last I heard was that it was supposed to get to Maui this afternoon (it's now 4:30PM Hawaii time, and I'm finished seeing patients early so I have the radio on, haven't heard anything yet). The good news is that unlike Iniki this storm is no longer a hurricane, the bad news is that it apparently picked up some strength last night and turned more west than north. If you look at a map, you'll see that the Hawaiian chain stretches NW to SE; my island is the youngest and the southeasternmost. The forecasts are for winds from 30-40 mph and 2-6 inches of rain for the other islands, which is unpleasant but not disastrous. (This side of the Big Island averages more than 150 inches of rain a year, so it's all relative.) However, when you're talking about storms that stagger across the ocean like a drunken bull, and islands that are relatively tiny, the forecasts are notoriously unreliable until you're really under the gun. (Last night we were supposed to get high winds and lots of rain, and it never happened.)

So, for those with friends and relatives on Maui, O'ahu, and Kaua'i, they're not out of the woods yet but at least we don't seem to be looking at a hurricane. I'll post again if there's any news.

Aloha,
Mark