Hurricane Iniki

Hurricane Iniki ( ; Hawaiian: iniki meaning "strong and piercing wind") was the most powerful hurricane to strike Hawaii in recorded history, and the only hurricane to directly affect the state during the 1992 Pacific hurricane season. Forming on September 5, 1992, it was the first hurricane to hit the state since Hurricane Iwa in 1982, and the only known major hurricane to hit the state. Iniki dissipated on September 13, about halfway between Hawaii and Alaska.

Iniki caused around $3.1 billion (1992 USD) in damage and seven deaths. This made Iniki, at the time, the costliest natural disaster on record in the state, as well as the third-costliest to hit the U.S. It struck just 18 days after Florida was devastated by Hurricane Andrew, which was the costliest tropical cyclone ever at the time. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) failed to issue tropical cyclone warnings and watches 24 hours in advance. The hurricane destroyed more than 1,400 houses on Kauai and severely damaged more than 5,000. Oahu experienced moderate damage from wind and storm surge.

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Meteorological history

The origin of Iniki is unclear, but it may have begun as a tropical wave that exited the west African coast on August 18. It moved westward across northern South America and Central America, entering the eastern Pacific Ocean on August 28. On September 5, Tropical Depression Eighteen-E developed from the wave, about southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, or east-southeast of Hilo.

Two days before the storm struck, the Naval Western Oceanography Center on Oahu recommended that the United States Navy fleet at the Pearl Harbor Shipyard to start storm preparations. A few Naval facilities were evacuated, some ahead of official hurricane warnings from the CPHC. On the Big Island, officials ordered residents within of the coastline to evacuate to higher ground. High waters damaged several hotels and condominiums along the island's southern shore. Hurricane Iniki's making landfall during daylight hours, combined with the popularity of camcorders, led many Kauai residents to record much of the damage as it occurred. The footage was later used to create an hour-long video documentary. Commercial air service was suspended.

thumb|left|alt=A washed out sidewark surrounded by trees and water|Sidewalk and tree damage from Iniki

Iniki's high winds also downed 26.5% of the island's transmission poles, 37% of its distribution poles, and 35% of its distribution wire system. The entire island lacked electricity and television service for an extended period. According to Spielberg, "every single structure was in shambles; roofs and walls were torn away; telephone poles and trees were down as far as the eye could see." Spielberg included footage of Iniki battering the Kaua'i coastal walls as part of the completed film, where a tropical storm is a pivotal part of the plot. Members of the film's crew helped to clear some of the debris off of nearby roads. In all, Hurricane Iniki caused several million dollars in property damage, The high waves damaged 12 homes on the Big Island. In Honokōhau Harbor, three or four sailboats were tossed onto the rocks and one trimaran at another harbor was sunk. A beach near Napoʻopoʻo on Kealakekua Bay lost some sand and to this day has never been the same.

Aftermath

thumb|[[Storm surge from Iniki]]

Immediately after the storm, many were relieved to have survived the worst of the hurricane; their complacency turned to apprehensiveness due to lack of information, as every radio station was out and no news was available for several days. Because Iniki knocked out electrical power for most of the island, communities held parties to consume perishable food from unpowered refrigerators and freezers, and many hotels prepared and hosted free meals to use up their perishables. Though some food markets allowed those affected to take what they needed, many Kauai citizens insisted on paying. In addition, entertainers from all of Hawaii, including Graham Nash (who owns a home on the north shore of Kauaʻi) and the Honolulu Symphony, gave free concerts for the victims.

By four weeks after the hurricane, only 20% of power was restored on Kauai, following the island-wide blackout.

In the months after the storm, many insurance companies left Hawaii. To combat this, Governor John D. Waiheʻe III enacted the Hurricane Relief Fund in 1993 to help unprotected Hawaii residents. The fund was never needed for another Hawaii hurricane, and it was eliminated in 2000, when insurance companies returned to the island.

Iniki ravaged multiple islands' native forest bird population. The last known Kauaʻi ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus) is believed to have been killed by Iniki and the death of this individual also marked the extinction of the entire Mohoidae family. It is also thought that the storm blew apart many chicken coops, some possibly used to house fighting chickens; this caused a dramatic increase in feral chickens roaming Kauai.

Due to the storm's impact, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Iniki after the 1992 season; it will never again be used for a Central Pacific tropical cyclone. It was replaced in the basin's naming rotation with Iolana.

In popular culture

The events and survivor accounts of the hurricane were featured in an episode of The Weather Channel docuseries Storm Stories, "Iniki Jurassic", the sixth episode of the GRB Entertainment docuseries Earth's Fury (also known as Anatomy of Disaster outside the U.S.), "Hurricane Force", the fourth episode of the 2008 Discovery Channel reality television series Destroyed in Seconds, the 1996 Fox television special When Disasters Strike, and the 11th episode of the 1999 reality television series World's Most Amazing Videos.

Notes

References

External links

Central Pacific Hurricane Center: Hurricane Iniki
NHC 18-E archive