Hurricane Iselle: Strong winds, flooding forecasted for Hawaii

Hurricane Iselle headed toward Hawaii Tuesday, with officials in Honolulu urging residents to prepare food and water to last seven days. Hurricane Iselle is one of two storms expected to hit Hawaii later this week. 

The National Weather Service says two storms – Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio – are headed for Hawaii later this week in an unusual one-two punch that could be an effect of a developing El Nino pattern.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued advisories Tuesday for Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio.

Because of Hawaii's remoteness, it can take as much as a week for local officials to mount a full relief operation if a major disaster strikes. It's why Honolulu is urging residents to prepare food, water and other emergency supplies to live on for seven days.

The chief of hurricane specialists, James Franklin, said Hurricane Iselle could hit Hawaii by Friday and Julio two or three days after that.

It's too soon to issue hurricane watches or warnings. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu is taking over responsibility for forecasting.

Franklin says two big storms so close together in the eastern Pacific are rare but not unexpected in years with a developing El Nino, a change in ocean temperature that affects weather around the world.

Hurricane Iselle may bring strong winds, flooding and storm surge.