"President realDonaldTrump just approved an Emergency Declaration for the State of Hawaii in support of Hurricane Douglas", FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor tweeted.
President @realDonaldTrump just approved an Emergency Declaration for the State of Hawaii in support of Hurricane #Douglas. While continuing to respond to #COVID19, @FEMA is prepared and ready to support Hawaii’s local and state officials in response to this storm.
— Pete Gaynor (@FEMA_Pete) July 25, 2020
The declaration unlocks federal disaster assistance for the state as it braces for the storm's arrival.
Hurricane Douglas was bearing down on the archipelago at the speed of 30 kilometres (18 miles) per hour as of 11 am local time (21:00 GMT), packing maximum sustained winds of 145 kilometres (90 miles) per hour, according to the latest advisory of the National Hurricane Centre.
Hurricane #Douglas continues to rev up in the Eastern Pacific, now a Category 4 hurricane. It will weaken some before reaching Hawaii this weekend, but the question is how much. https://t.co/XqyZ7aOxIn pic.twitter.com/J8qtRQwSfG
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) July 24, 2020
A hurricane warning has been declared for the Hawaiian island of Oahu, the advisory says.