As Hurricane Lane continues to lash through Hawaii, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says its top priorities are food, drinking water, safety, and security.
FEMA Administrator Brock Long said today officials are bracing for a "marathon event" with torrential rains and flooding affecting the islands for the next 48 to 72 hours.
Long said the key question now is when the storm system starts to turn toward the west and begins to move away from the islands. FEMA disaster and emergency medical teams are in Hawaii providing assistance as part of what Long called a unified effort with state and local officials.
The latest update puts Hurricane Lane about 200 miles south of Honolulu packing 120 mile an hour winds as it slowly moves to the north.