By Michael Pearson
(CNN) — Weakened but still bearing the promise of torrential rain, Tropical Storm Flossie spun slowly toward Hawaii on Monday.
As much as 15 inches of rain was forecast, along with winds of 50 mph and the threat of flash floods and mud slides, according to the National Weather Service.
While forecasters say the storm is running into conditions that appear to be weakening it, the Hawaiian islands of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe remained under a tropical storm warning Monday, with tropical storm watches up for the islands of Kauai and Niihau.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed an emergency proclamation on Sunday, evacuation shelters are open and some government offices and schools were planning to remain closed Monday, according to CNN affiliate KFVE.
With widespread rainfall of up to 10 inches, and pockets of 15 inches on the big island of Hawaii and Maui, and 12 inches over Oahu, emergency officials had evacuated low-lying backcountry areas over the weekend, the station reported. Elsewhere, shoppers stocked up on water, food and other supplies.
“People were in all day picking up the usuals — batteries, water tarps, looking for generators, things like that,” Hilo Home Depot manager Mike Young told KFVE.
As of 11 p.m. Sunday (5 a.m. Monday ET), the storm was about 200 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, moving west at about 17 mph, according to the Pacific Hurricane Center.
The-CNN-Wire
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