* August 1999: Hurricane Dora caused minor wind gusts of up to 58 miles per hour on the southern part of Big Island as it passed south of Hawaii. According to the NOAA historical hurricane database, from 1950 - 2017, only 14 hurricanes have ever passed within 200 miles of Hawaii. One person died from Hiki. One notion is that Hawaii's volcanic peaks slow down or divert storms. Any south or southwest wind aloft would steer a hurricane toward the island chain. Hurricane Hiki was the third-wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States, behind Hurricane Lane in 2018, and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. (MORE:Southern California Water Temperatures About as Warm as They Get). In other words, hurricanes aren't even physically possible in Hawaii for over half of the year. disaster ever to strike the United States, with damages estimated at over Unlike the Atlantic Basin, July is the second most active month (45) in the central Pacific basin. * 1992 Iniki 6 Daniel Nelson. Heavy rains were recorded; the heaviest in years. More than 12 inches fell in 4 hours. When asking why hurricanes rarely reach landfall in Hawaii, it's important to see the big picture. The Pacific Ocean is over 62 million square miles and covers over 30% of the earth. The warmer water also allows for more tropical system formationcloser to Hawaii and across the eastern Pacific. Knowledge awaits. Drier, more stable air from the subtropical high to the northeast of Hawaii eventually inhibits thunderstorms from persisting and remaining clustered near the cyclone's center. When Is Hawaii's Hurricane Season? - Science Trends Of course, an El Nio does not guarantee a hurricane will impact Hawaii. On average, about five tropical Dot brought sustained winds of 81 mph with gusts to 103 mph to Kilauea Light. * August 1988: Hurricane Uleki approached the state. and It's quite rare to have two storms right behind each other . Historical Hurricane Tracks - National Oceanic and Atmospheric It hit the island of Kauai as a Category 4 on September 11, killing six and causing $2 billion in damage. Pre1950 One such hurricane formed in an El Nio year: 1992. Virtually every system approaching Hawaii from the east since 1950 tracking at least as far north as the latitude of the Big Island of Hawaii eventually weakened to a tropical storm or depression by the time it reached the islands. The islands of Hawaii, with Kauai as the notable exception, appear to be remarkably immune from direct hurricane hits. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. The storm supposedly tracked northward, passing through the Kauai channel. How rare are hurricanes in Hawaii? Examining the Aloha State's history About two-thirds of those systems drift westfrom the eastern Pacific basin. "[42] This has also drawn media attention. Back-to-Back Hawaii Hurricanes Would be Unprecedented * November 1982: Hurricane Iwa was one of Hawaiis most damaging hurricanes. The map also shows how Hawai'i lies near the 27 C ocean surface temperature threshold in the warm month August and the wind shear resulting from surface tradewinds (green arrows) blowing in the opposite direction of the upper air winds (purple arrows). Iniki was the fifth costliest natural Since 1949, the Hawaiian Islands have received a direct hit from just two hurricanes--Dot in 1959, and Iniki in 1992. The depression then crossed over into the central Pacific Ocean basin to the west of 140W longitude where it became a tropical storm and eventually a powerful hurricane. 68 mph (110 km/h) winds were recorded in Kauai. Hurricane Dot arrived in 1959 and an unnamed storm occurred in 1871. Dating to 1950, there is no record of a hurricane landfalling on the Big Island of Hawaii. This is the reality of a meteorological rule of thumb. where, "quite suddenly the weather cleared and the wind dropped to calm. The dissipation of storms is even more evident in a closer view map (from Wikipedia) of the Central North Pacific zone. It hit the island of Kauai as a Category 4 on September 11, killing six and causing $2 billion in damage. Only two tropical storms have hit the islands since 1949--an unnamed 1958 storm which hit the Big Island, and Tropical Storm Iselle, which made landfall along the southeast shore of Hawaii's Big Island on August 8, 2014 with 60 mph winds. The ocean surface temperature is usually near or below 27 C, a threshold for hurricane formation and survival, and wind shear that saps a storm's energy is common over the islands. by Dr Jeff Masters, Weather Underground, October 16, 2014 (excerpt). It's been more than two decades since the last hurricane hit the 50th state. connected to the storm. Why Hurricanes Are So Rare in Hawaii - Scientific American Since 1949, the Hawaiian Islands have received a direct hit from just two hurricanes--Dot in 1959, and Iniki in 1992. These winds, which help to keep us from overheating, also act to separate thunderstorms from the center of the approaching hurricane resulting in a lot of rain, but rarely a full-blown hurricane. Image credit: NOAA/CSC. The only other storm to do so was in1958. August 1950: Hurricane Hiki passed north of the islands, bringing gale winds. On average, between four and five tropical cyclones are observed in the Central Pacific every year. Why are hurricanes so rare in Hawaii? It's a lucky quirk - USA TODAY Also, a hurricane simply rounding the southwest side of a less expansive eastern Pacific Ocean subtropical high would put Hawaii in the crosshairs. Since Iniki, many insurance policies exclude hurricane and a separate hurricane policy is required to obtain hurricane coverage. Why a Blizzard Is Hitting Southern California, How to Engineer Buildings That Withstand Earthquakes, Why the Earthquake in Turkey Was So Damaging and Deadly, Climate Change Has Influenced the Timing of Europe's Floods, Court Scuttles Rule Cutting Potent Greenhouse Gas, Wildfire Burns across (Formerly) Icy Greenland. Satellite images of Hurricane Flossie's breakup when approaching Hawaii Island fueled this idea. If it stays a hurricane, it will be the first to hit the Big Island head-on since records began in 1950, and could even be the first since a possible cyclone hit in 1872, said National Weather . Well you can! It had formed in the eastern . Two people on Oahu drowned in rough surf. The key, at least climatologically speaking, is the direction of the storm's approach. There haven't been enough hurricanes and tropical storms since about 1950 when good recordkeeping started for a statistically significant trend, Lin said. By the way, did you know that you can now save $10/person on our Maui Princess Dinner Cruise or a Snorkel Adventure to the Island of Lanai? Of course, this doesn't mean every single storm will do that in the future. [1] Extratropical cyclones are also common, causing considerable damage; they are known as Kona storms, but are not included in counts of hurricanes. however, the tornado dissipated before causing any damage. * July 1971: Hurricane Denise dissipated before reaching Hawaii, but brought beneficial rain of more than one inch to dry farms and sugar plantations. Tracks of hurricanes that have come within 200 nautical miles of Hawaii from 1990-2021. Quotes from captains and civilians describe a severe windstorm that ravaged the islands for several hours. Both mountains rise to elevations in excess of 13,000 feet above sea level, and as Flossie approached the island, its track shifted abruptly overnight and assumed a more northerly alignment, heading instead to the island of Maui on July 29. 1800s. Hurricane landfalls are rare in Hawaii, but brushes by tropical systems are common. While it is probable Holidays. No doubt about that. * August 1938: A possible tropical cyclone produced heavy wind and rain across the state. Nina moved north and took a sharp turn to the west without actually striking the state. "The wind commenced Hurricane Hiki - Wikipedia List of Hawaii hurricanes dating to 1843 | Hawaii 24/7 Like most of its predecessors, Iselle weakened as it approached the Islands eventually making landfall along the Kau coast on the Big Island just below hurricane strength. Any south or southwest wind aloft would steer a hurricane toward the island chain. * August 2009: The remnants of Hurricane Felicia brought light rainfall to the northern islands. There are several reasons why this happens so often. Its unprecedented, we dont really have a full grasp for whats going to happen on the other side, Cantin said. In some areas of the island, palm trees snapped in half, suggesting winds were locally more than 125 mph. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. * January 1971: Although not having existed in the Central Pacific as a tropical cyclone, the extratropical low that was Tropical Storm Sarah in the West Pacific passed over Hawaii in mid January, causing high winds and heavy rain. A look at tropical cyclones that have impacted Hawaii over the years List of Hawaii Hurricanes - List of Tropical Cyclones - 1950s. Ninas closest approach to land was about 120 miles southwest of Kauai. for residential construction, for example. with hurricane intensity, the modern era Locally strong wind gusts reached 58 miles per hour at some localities, mainly over Maui and the Big Island. * 1982 Iwa 1, Find out more: From 1950 through 2017, only 14 hurricanes have passed within 200 nautical miles of the Big Island, Maui, Honolulu or Kauai, according to NOAA's historical hurricane database. No further records are available, but extrapolation of its forward movement predicted that it would make landfall on the southern coast of the Big Island. Jonathan Belles, Jon Erdman and Linda Lam, Dallas Area Storms Cause Power Transformer To Explode, Rockslide In Californias Santa Monica Mountains. near Hawai'i. 68 mph winds were recorded in Kauai.