Hurricane Flossie is expected to generate rain and bumpy surf early next week and drop below hurricane strength on Monday, but state Civil Defense officials are still urging preparedness.

"It may be a big deal, it may not," said Dave Curtis, spokesman for state Civil Defense. "We don't know what will happen, but it's a great time to think about disaster preparedness. There are just too many iffies on Flossie. But people should have gotten ready back in June" at the start of hurricane season.

Flossie was less than 1,200 miles south/southeast of Hilo last night, traveling 13 mph with winds of 86 mph, gusting to 104 mph, said National Weather Service forecaster Jonathan Hoag.

This weekend should see typical scattered windward and mauka rains, followed by blustery showers on the Big Island Tuesday night.

By Monday, Flossie is expected to drop below the hurricane strength of 74 mph, Hoag said. By Tuesday afternoon, Flossie is expected to lie about 125 miles south of the Big Island with a strength of 58 mph, he said.

Surf on the southeast side of the Big Island should be 8 to 12 feet Tuesday evening. Other islands may see "rough seas and wind swell" around 6 feet on eastern shores Tuesday, Hoag said.

By Wednesday, Flossie is expected to drop to 46 mph and sit approximately 200 miles south of Honolulu.

Hawai'i's hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, and forecasters have predicted just two or three tropical depressions, tropical storms or hurricanes for the Central Pacific.

The forecast is identical to last year's, when the Central Pacific actually experienced five tropical "cyclones" — the umbrella term that covers tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes.

Because of Flossie, two extra state Civil Defense workers will be on duty this weekend inside Diamond Head crater monitoring the situation, Curtis said.

"We don't know exactly what Flossie's going to do," Curtis said. "Hurricanes are very unpredictable. One or two degrees one way or another could be highly important."

He urged people to check — or create — personal disaster plans and create or maintain their home emergency kits. "You need to have enough supplies to take care of yourself and your family for several days," he said.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.