NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Hurricane Iniki

Hurricane Iniki (pronounced E-Nee-Kee) (Hawaiian for Enid)^[3] was the most powerful hurricane to strike the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiian Islands in recorded history. Forming during the strong El Niño of 1991–1994, Iniki was one of eleven Central Pacific tropical cyclones during the 1992 season. The eye of Hurricane Iniki passed directly over the island of Kauaʻi on September 11, 1992, as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It was the first hurricane to hit the state since Hurricane Iwa in the 1982 season, and the first major hurricane since Hurricane Dot in 1959. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the levels of tropical depression and tropical storm and thereby become hurricanes; the categories it divides hurricanes into are distinguished by the intensities of their respective sustained winds. ... 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The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the levels of tropical depression and tropical storm and thereby become hurricanes; the categories it divides hurricanes into are distinguished by the intensities of their respective sustained winds. ... Hurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name of the frigatebird, devastated the islands of Niihau, Kauai and Oahu in the state of Hawaii as a Category 1 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale on November 23, 1982. ... Pacific Hurricane Seasons 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 The 1982 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1982 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1982 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1982. ... Hurricane Dot was a hurricane during August of the 1959 Pacific hurricane season that made a rare landfall in Hawaii, and one of only five tropical cyclones since 1950 to have caused serious damage to the islands. ...

Iniki caused around $1.8 billion (1992 US dollars) in damage and six deaths. At the time, Iniki was among the costliest United States hurricanes, and it remains one of the costliest hurricanes on record in the eastern Pacific. The storm struck just weeks after Hurricane Andrew—the costliest tropical cyclone ever at the time—struck the U.S. state of Florida. ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory[1], the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... Lowest pressure 922 mbar (hPa) Damage $26 billion (1992 USD) $45 billion (2005 USD) Fatalities 65 (26 direct, 39 indirect) Areas affected Bahamas; South Florida, Louisiana, and other areas of the Southern United States Part of the 1992 Atlantic hurricane season This article is about the 1992 hurricane; there was... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area Ranked 22nd - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] kmÂ²) - Width 361 miles (582 km) - Length 447 miles (721 km) - % water 17. ...

Due to well-deployed warnings, Iniki caused only six deaths. Damage was greatest on Kauaʻi, where the hurricane destroyed over 1,400 houses and severely damaged over 5,000. Though not directly in the path, Oʻahu experienced moderate damage from storm surge, though damage was much less there. OÊ»ahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the Gathering Place, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of HawaiÊ»i. ...

Storm history

The origin of Iniki is unclear, but it possibly began as a tropical wave that exited the African coast on August 18. It moved westward across the unfavorable Atlantic Ocean and crossed Central America into the Pacific on the 28th. The wave continued rapidly westward and remained disorganized. Conditions slowly became more favorable, and, as the convection concentrated around a center, the wave was classified Tropical Depression Eighteen-E on September 5, located 1700 miles (2700 km) southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico or 1550 miles (2500 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaiʻi. The depression continued quickly westward and remained weak until the 8th, when it slowed enough to strengthen to a tropical storm. Because it had already crossed 140º west, it was considered part of the central Pacific hurricane basin and was named Tropical Storm Iniki from the central Pacific naming list. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x792, 28 KB) Summary Hurricane Iniki (1992) track. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x792, 28 KB) Summary Hurricane Iniki (1992) track. ... Tropical waves, also known as easterly waves, are elongated areas of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, causing areas of cloudiness and thunderstorms. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the largest body of water on Earth â€“ at 165. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... km redirects here. ... Lands End is at southern tip of Baja and its arch can be seen in a December sunset San Lucas Marina This view of Cabo San Lucas shows the rapid growth of the area (November 5, 2005). ... Hilo is a coastal city in the State of Hawaii, and is the largest municipal area on the island of Hawaiâ€˜i. ...

Located at the southern periphery of a subtropical ridge, Iniki continued westward and strengthened over the unusually favorable central Pacific; it reached typhoon status on September 9 while 470 miles (760 km) south-southeast of Hilo. The subtropical ridge, which typically keeps typhoons well away from the Hawaiian Islands, weakened due to an approaching upper level-trough and allowed Iniki to turn to the northwest. With very favorable upper-level outflow and warm water temperatures, Iniki steadily intensified, and attained major hurricane status on September 10 while south-southwest of the island chain.^[3] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (909 Ã— 909 pixel, file size: 145 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The NOAA emblem is the property of the U.S. Government and a trademark of the United States Department of Commerce. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (909 Ã— 909 pixel, file size: 145 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The NOAA emblem is the property of the U.S. Government and a trademark of the United States Department of Commerce. ... The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was an ongoing event in tropical cyclone formation. ... The subtropical ridge is a large belt of high pressure situated around 30ÂºN in the Northern Hemisphere and 30ÂºS in the Southern Hemisphere. ... September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ...

As Iniki turned to the north, it continued to strengthen, reaching a peak of 145 mph (230 km/h) winds on September 11 while 170 miles (270 km) south-southwest of Poʻipū on the island of Kauaʻi. It continued rapidly to the north-northeast, and made landfall on south-central Kauai early on the 12th with winds of 140 mph (220 km/h), making Iniki a Category 4 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. After crossing the island, Iniki rapidly accelerated north-northeastward, weakened rapidly, and was absorbed by a cold front as it lost tropical characteristics and became extratropical on September 13 about halfway between Alaska and Hawaiʻi.^[3] Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Kilometres per hour (American spelling: kilometers per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... This article is about the date September 11 in general. ... Poipu is a census-designated place located in Kauai County, Hawaii. ... A fictitious synoptic chart of an extratropical cyclone affecting the UK & Ireland. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area Ranked 1st - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 kmÂ²) - Width 808 miles (1,300 km) - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km) - % water 13. ...

Preparations

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) issued tropical cyclone warnings and watches for the hurricane well in advance. Accurate forecasts allowed effective evacuations, minimizing deaths on the islands. On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki caused more than USD $3 billion of damage in Hawaii. ... See Severe weather terminology for a comprehensive article on this term and related weather terms. ... Emergency evacuation is the movement of persons from a dangerous place due to the threat or occurrence of a disastrous event. ...

A hurricane watch was issued for Kauaʻi early on September 11 and was upgraded to a hurricane warning later that day.^[3] Prior to Iniki's arrival in Kauaʻi, 8,000 people were housed in shelters, most of whom remembered Hurricane Iwa 10 years prior. Rather than sending tourists to public shelters, two major hotels kept their occupants in the buildings during the storm's passage. During the evacuation of the island, people left days before to either family, friends, or shelters. Because schools were canceled, traffic was light and evacuation was well-executed.^[4] This article is about the date September 11 in general. ... Hurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name of the frigatebird, devastated the islands of Niihau, Kauai and Oahu in the state of Hawaii as a Category 1 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale on November 23, 1982. ...

The CPHC issued a tropical storm warning for Oʻahu on September 11 which was upgraded to a hurricane warning later that day.^[3] Though not hit by the hurricane, Iniki's large wind field caused nearly 30,000 people to evacuate to 110 public shelters in Oʻahu. Public school buildings acted as shelters, and were for refuge only, meaning they did not provide food, cots, blankets, medications or other comfort items. Roughly one-third of Oʻahu's population participated in the evacuation, though many others went to the house of a family member or friend for shelter. The execution of the evacuations went well, beginning with the vulnerable coastal area. For those in need, vans and buses gave emergency transportation, while police manned certain overused intersections. The two main problems that occurred during the evacuation were lack of parking at shelters and exit routes for the coastlines.^[4] OÊ»ahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the Gathering Place, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of HawaiÊ»i. ... This article is about the date September 11 in general. ...

Impact

Hurricane Iniki was the costliest hurricane to strike the state of Hawaiʻi, causing $1.8 billion ($2.6 billion in 2004 US dollars) in damage. Most damage was on the island of Kauaʻi, where the storm destroyed thousands of homes and left a large amount of the island without power, although Oʻahu also suffered significant damage. Iniki also was responsible for 6 deaths.^[3] The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The name Pauline has been used for four tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. ... Pacific Hurricane Seasons 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 The 1997 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1997 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1997 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1997. ... The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was an ongoing event in tropical cyclone formation. ... Hurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name of the frigatebird, devastated the islands of Niihau, Kauai and Oahu in the state of Hawaii as a Category 1 Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale on November 23, 1982. ... Pacific Hurricane Seasons 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 The 1982 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1982 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1982 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1982. ... Hurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone of the 1976 Pacific hurricane season. ... The 1976 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1976 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1976 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1976. ... Pacific Hurricane Seasons 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 The 1981 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1981 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1981 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1981. ... Pacific Hurricane Seasons 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 The 1981 Pacific hurricane season officially started May 15, 1981 in the eastern Pacific, and June 1, 1981 in the central Pacific, and lasted until November 30, 1981. ... This is a list of notable Pacific hurricanes, subdivided by reason for notability. ...

The hurricane nearly struck the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. Had it hit there, Iniki, along with Hurricane Andrew and Typhoon Omar, would have struck each of the three National Weather Service offices responsible for tropical cyclone warnings within a two-month period.^[5] Honolulu redirects here. ... Lowest pressure 922 mbar (hPa) Damage $26 billion (1992 USD) $45 billion (2005 USD) Fatalities 65 (26 direct, 39 indirect) Areas affected Bahamas; South Florida, Louisiana, and other areas of the Southern United States Part of the 1992 Atlantic hurricane season This article is about the 1992 hurricane; there was... Super Typhoon Omar was the 15th tropical depression (15W), the 15th named storm, and the 9th typhoon of the 1992 Pacific typhoon season. ... The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ...

Kauaʻi

Hurricane Iniki made landfall on the south-central portion of Kauaʻi island, bringing its dangerous inner core to the entire island.^[3] Upon making landfall the hurricane produced storm tides of 4.5–6 feet (1.4–1.8 m), with some portions of the coastlines having high water marks of up to 18 feet (5.5 m). In addition, strong waves of up to 35 feet (10.5 m) in height crashed along the southern coastline for several hours, causing a debris line of more than 800 feet (250 m) inland. Because it moved quickly through the island, there were no reports of significant rainfall.^[4]

Hurricane Iniki's high winds caused extensive damage in Kauaʻi. 1,421 houses were completely destroyed, and 63 were lost from the storm surge and wave action. 5,152 homes were severely damaged, while 7,178 received minor damage.^[3] On the south coast, hotels and condominiums received severe damage as well. A few were restored quickly, though some took several years to be rebuilt. One hotel – the Coco Palms Resort famous for Elvis Presley's Blue Hawaii – remained closed over 10 years after the hurricane.^[6] Destroyed housing across the island left more than 7,000 people homeless after the storm's passage.^[7] Image File history File linksMetadata Iniki_Tree_Winds. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Iniki_Tree_Winds. ... A building of the Coco Palms Resort with numerous rooms near the lobby. ... Blue Hawaii is a 1961 musical film set in the state of Hawaii and starring Elvis Presley. ...

Iniki's Category 4 winds also downed 26.5% of the island's transmission poles, 37% of its distribution poles, and 35% of its 800 mile (1300 km) distribution wire system. The entire island lacked electricity and television service for an extended period of time.^[7] Electric companies restored only 20% of the island's power service within four weeks of Iniki, while other areas were without power for up to three months. Also affected by the storm was the agricultural sector.^[3] Though much of the sugar cane was already harvested,^[7] what was left was severely damaged. The winds destroyed tender tropical plants like bananas and papayas and uprooted or damaged fruit and nut trees.^[3] Image File history File linksMetadata Iniki_Damaged_Sidewalk. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Iniki_Damaged_Sidewalk. ... The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the levels of tropical depression and tropical storm and thereby become hurricanes; the categories it divides hurricanes into are distinguished by the intensities of their respective sustained winds. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Carica papaya L. The papaya, also known as mamÃ£o, tree melon, fruta bomba, lechosa (Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic), or pawpaw is the fruit of the tree Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. ...

Most of Iniki's damage occurred in Kauaʻi. On the island, one person died when struck by debris, while another lost her life when a portion of her house fell on her. Offshore, two Japanese nationals died when their boat capsized. The reduced death toll was likely due to well-executed warnings and preparation. More than 100 injuries can be attributed to Iniki, though most occurred in the aftermath of the hurricane.^[3]

Among those on Kauaʻi was filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who was preparing for the final day of shooting of the movie Jurassic Park. He and his 130 cast and crew remained safely in a hotel during Iniki's passage.^[8] Steven Allan Spielberg, (born December 18, 1946) is a three-time Academy Award winning American film director and producer. ... Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, based upon the novel of the same name written by Michael Crichton. ...

Oʻahu

Upon passing by Oʻahu, Iniki produced tides of 1.7–3 feet (0.5–0.9 m) above normal.^[4] Prolonged periods of high waves severely eroded and damaged the southwestern coast of Oʻahu, with the areas most affected being Barbers Point through Kaʻena.^[3] The Waiʻanae coastline experienced the most damage, with waves and storm surge flooding the second floor of beachside apartments.^[9] In all, Hurricane Iniki caused several million dollars in property damage,^[4] and two deaths on Oʻahu.^[3] Kaena Point in far distance is the western tip of Oahu, seen here from Kaneana on the south shore near Mākua Cave Kaena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the Island of Oahu. ...

Aftermath

Immediately after the storm, many were relieved to have survived the worst of the Category 4 hurricane; their complacency turned to apprehensiveness due to lack of information, as every radio station was out and there was no news available for several days. Using food from unpowered refrigerators and freezers, communities held lavish parties to overcome the situation. Though food markets allowed those affected to take what they needed, many Kauaʻi citizens insisted on paying. Because the hurricane destroyed much of their belongings, many groups gathered for video parties powered by portable generators. In addition, entertainers from all of Hawaiʻi, including the Honolulu Symphony, provided free concerts to the victims.^[6] Image File history File linksMetadata Iniki_Storm_Surge. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Iniki_Storm_Surge. ... ... The Honolulu Symphony, also known as the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, is the official symphonic orchestra of the City & County of Honolulu in the State of Hawaii. ...

Looting occurred in the aftermath of Iniki, though it was very minor. A group of Army Corps of Engineers, who experienced the looting of Hurricane Andrew just weeks before, were surprised at the overall calmness and lack of violence on the island. Kauaʻi citizens remained hopeful for monetary aid from the government or insurance companies, though after six months they felt annoyed with the lack of help.^[6] The military effectively provided aid for their immediate needs, though, and help arrived before local officials requested aid.^[10] United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 military men and women. ...

In the months after the storm, many insurance companies left Hawaiʻi. To combat this, State Governor John D. Waihee III enacted the Hurricane Relief Fund in 1993 to help unprotected Hawaiians. The fund was never needed for another Hawaiʻi hurricane, and it was stopped in 2000 when insurance companies returned to the island.^[11] Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... John David Waihee III was the first American of Native Hawaiian descent to be elected governor in the United States. ...

The name Iniki was retired due to this storm in 1993, and was replaced with Iolana in the Central North Pacific tropical storm list. Since that list is rotated through regardless of year, Iolana has not been used for any storm and is not likely to be used for decades due to the relative rarity of storm formation in the Central Pacific. Due to their long-term persistence, and the need for a unique identifier in issuing forecasts and warnings, tropical cyclones are given names. ...

Contents

Storm history

Preparations

Impact

Kauaʻi

Oʻahu

Aftermath

See also

Notes

External links

Contents

Storm history GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Preparations

Impact

Kauaʻi

Oʻahu

Aftermath

See also

Notes

External links

Storm history