Although National Weather Service in Honolulu has not yet issued watches or warnings for Maui County ahead of the kona low that is anticipated to impact Kaua’i, Ni’ihau and O’ahu by Tuesday, the County of Maui is taking steps to prepare should the storm bring damaging conditions to the county.

The public is encouraged to stay informed and prepare ahead of potential flood watches or warnings. The potential for flash flooding and thunderstorms may expand to Maui County and the Big Island on Wednesday and Thursday, according to NWS.

County staff have been actively inspecting and clearing culverts in South Maui and in Upcountry where flooding is known to occur. Flood mitigating equipment will be staged once NWS issues information on Maui County locations that could be impacted by the storm. Employees on each county island are preparing their district, county Public Works officials said today.

Also, the state and county partnered with local contractors to protect storm drain and waterway inlets in Lahaina. A pollutant filter system called Envirosoxx was installed in late August. The cutting-edge filtration system is designed to capture, reduce and filter pollutants from stormwater runoff, which will safeguard coastal waters along Lahaina shorelines, according to the county Department of Public Works.

County of Maui’s Emergency Operations Center remains in a ready-state and will move to partial activation for this storm if NWS issues a flood watch.

While wind impacts are not anticipated for this weather event, flash flooding and thunderstorms are forecast, according to NWS.

The public is encouraged to stay informed through credible sources such as the National Weather Service, the Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency and the Maui Emergency Management Agency. Sign up for Maui Police Department Road Closure notifications at bit.ly/MauiRoadClosure.

The public is also urged to take the necessary steps to be prepared, including having an emergency kit with essential items.

For more information on emergency preparedness and to sign up for alerts from MEMA, visit www.mauicounty.gov/MEMA.