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Hilda is “barely holding on” to tropical storm status as it moves south of the Big Island,  as of 6:45 a.m. Thursday. At present, rains could still soak Hawaii County.

Hawaii, it seems, has survived yet another hurricane scare. But don’t get complacent: More storms are likely headed our way.

That’s according to the  Global Weather Center, which warns, “While the impact from Hilda on Hawaii will be minimal, a strengthening El Niño will continue the potential for tropical systems tracking near Hawaii well into the fall.”

Consider this:

El Niño is attributed to warmer-than-average waters of the tropical Pacific Ocean. When waters are warm, there is potential for stronger and greater numbers of tropical systems.

On average, four to five tropical systems affect the Central Pacific basin each year and most originate from the Eastern Pacific. So far, there have been five named systems in the Central Pacific during 2015.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Anthony Sagliani says in a press release Thursday, “By late October, winds aloft usually become too hostile for tropical systems to form or maintain themselves over the Central Pacific.”

Hurricane Iniki — the strongest tropical system to ever strike Hawaii and a 100-year storm — occurred in September and moved up from the South. It arrived at the end of the 1991-1992 El Niño.

Hurricane Iwa formed in late November of 1982, and it tracked from southwest to northeast, farther west than Iniki. A significant El Niño occurred during 1982-1983.

Hurricane Nina, for those who remember, occurred during the El Niño of 1957-58 during late November into December.

Bottom line: Stay prepared with enough water, nonperishable food, batteries for a radio and flashlights and other necessities to last you and yours over several days.