In Hawaiian, the name Iniki means “strong and piercing wind”. This month marks the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Iniki, one which certainly lived up to its name. This beast of a hurricane blasted the Hawaiian Island of Kauai as a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The damage was extensive and basic services were cut off for months in some locations. On September 12th, Kauai residents were in store for a large and arduous task of reconstruction. What’s remarkable is that any hurricane would be rare for Hawaii, let alone one of this magnitude!
Hurricane Iniki’s origin goes back to August 18, 1992, when a tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa. Atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic were not conducive to development so the wave moved westward until it entered the Caribbean. Because of a strong El Niño, upper-level winds made it impossible for development so the wave passed over Central America on August 28th and into the eastern Pacific.
Atmospheric Conditions Change Abruptly
The tropical wave passed through the eastern Pacific on its way to the central Pacific. Upper-level winds began to decrease as an upper-level ridge expanded aloft. A center of circulation developed and there was some convection (thunderstorms) associated with it.
The tropical wave became Tropical Depression Eighteen-E on September 5th. The tropical depression was located over 1,500 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii at that time. As the system slowed down in its forward speed, convection began to develop around the center of circulation and Tropical Depression Eighteen-E began to strengthen and it was classified as Tropical Storm Iniki On September 8th.
By that time, conditions were very favorable for strengthening and Iniki reached hurricane strength on September 9th with the center located about 470 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center was monitoring the situation closely. it originally looked like Iniki would continue to move westward and pass harmlessly well to the south of the Hawaiian Islands with high surf being the only significant impact. There were sudden changes going on aloft, however, and that would change the ultimate fate of Iniki.
The high-pressure ridge that was steering Iniki westward was beginning to break down. To the north, a strong upper-level trough was developing. By early September 10th, most computer models were indicating that Iniki would take a turn to the north-northwest once it passed the longitude of Hawaii but Iniki would still miss the islands to the west. Some model “outliers” were bringing Iniki close to the islands but they were originally dismissed.
This map from September 10, 1992, shows various computer models with the forecast path of Hurricane Iniki. Map Credit-NationalWeather Service.
In the late afternoon of September 10th, Iniki took a dangerous turn toward the westernmost Hawaiian Islands and it strengthened rapidly. Iniki was being influenced by the strengthening of the upper-level trough. I was an On-Camera Meteorologist at the Weather Channel where we were following the progress of the storm closely.
Our chief hurricane forecaster, John Hope, indicated to us that it would be extremely rare for a “major” hurricane (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) to strike the Hawaiian islands. Most hurricanes that approach Hawaii arrive from the east or southeast and they weaken over cooler ocean temperatures before arriving while losing hurricane strength. The only way that you could get an intense hurricane was for a major hurricane to be much farther south in more tropical waters and for it to be pulled rapidly northward toward the islands. That was EXACTLY what occurred!
This map indicated the daily position and track of Hurricane Iniki leading to landfall on Kauai on September 11, 1992. Map Credit-NWS.
Hurricane Preparations
The residents of Kauai didn’t have much lead time to prepare for Iniki but a solid preparation scheme was in place so things did go pretty smoothly once there was good evidence that parts of the Hawaiian islands were in harm’s way.
Here is an overview of preparations that were discussed in a publication by the National Weather Service:
By 8:30 p.m. HST, Hurricane Iniki turned to a more northerly track and the hurricane watch for Kauai and Niihau was upgraded to a hurricane warning. The eye of Iniki was expected to cross Kauai late on the afternoon of September 11, 1992. In addition, a tropical storm warning was issued for Oahu and a tropical storm watch was issued for Maui County (including the islands of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai). By 11 p.m. HST, the tropical storm warning for Oahu was upgraded to a hurricane warning.
By 8 a.m. on September 11, 1992, when the storm center was about 180 miles south of Kauai, Iniki had reached its peak intensity and it was aimed directly at Kauai. A slight turn to the northeast, detected by radar for a few hours during the early morning hours, proved only to be temporary. By 1 p.m. HST on that day, the tropical storm watch for Maui was upgraded to a tropical storm warning. At 3 p.m. HST, the eye of Iniki was just south of Kauai and its forward speed had accelerated to 30 mph. The eye crossed the western half of the island between 3:20 p.m. and 4 p.m. HST passing again over the water at about 4:10 p.m.
Amazing – Don’t forget that this was before the internet!
None of Honolulu’s three affiliate television stations employs a meteorologist. One station has a full-length weather report given by a “weather specialist.” He provided full coverage during the storm build-up. The other stations rely on an anchorperson to read the weather forecast. Station managers implied that the hiring of a full-time meteorologist would not be cost-effective considering that the weather is relatively stable. When the storm became the major news item, these stations used in-house reporters for coverage. Again, the telephone was the major vehicle for keeping informed of CPHC issuances and information.
When it became obvious that Iniki would hit Hawaii, the media, especially that on Oahu and Kauai, turned its full attention to the storm. In response to early statements from the NWS, the radio and television alerts were being given on Wednesday evening, 48 hours before the storm hit. On Thursday evening, when the western islands were placed under a hurricane watch, some of these stations began 24-hour coverage dedicated solely to the storm.
When the civil defense sirens were sounded on Friday morning, the radio stations, using NWS statements and direct telephone contact with NWS staff, provided a steady stream of information by which the public was alerted to the location, movement, and intensity of the storm. The media also disseminated safety information from the state and local CD authorities.
The public, for the most part, heeded the warnings and stayed off the roadways. Many went to various shelters around the island. Their response was certainly responsible for the overall low death toll.
Iniki Batters Kauai
Hurricane Iniki made landfall on the western side of Kauai during the late afternoon of September 11, 1992, as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. There was widespread wind damage all over the island and some locations saw even more damage with a storm surge of 18 feet, Fortunately, Iniki was moving so quickly that rainfall totals were kept to a minimum.
This map shows the path of Hurricane Iniki over the island of Kauai on September 11, 1992. Map Credit-National Weather Service,
In an article titled The Impact of Hurricane Iniki On The Life Of An Island And Its People, Steven R. Lee describes the horrific storm :
“The house is eerily quiet except for the slowly rising wail of the wind the minutes pass ever so slowly and the wind now begins to release its strength against the house itself hitting against it like a child stomps the ground in frustration now the ceiling creaks and the walls begin to rock the house begins to shake at first just a vibration followed by a shudder and then finally with the feeling of a swelling force about to burst the windows there is a growing feeling of uncertainty will the house stand or will our shelter be ripped apart and will we be sucked out into the dark wet howling wind.”
This photo shows intense wind with blowing debris and heavy rain during Hurricane Iniki on Kauai on September 11, 1992. Photo Credit-tdunski on YouTube.
“The roads are all empty save the cars of those foolhardy enough to ignore the civil defense officials all but emergency services have been asked to stay off the streets as the unthinkable was about to happen. Thousands of tourists tried to leave the island and tens of thousands of residents tried to stock up on essentials for hurricane survival As the winds begin to shake the house we retreat to the safety of our little closet to await the anticipated eight-hour siege of Hurricane Iniki.”
This photo shows the incredible tree damage that was inflicted by Hurricane Iniki on the island of Kauai in September 1992. Photo Credit -NOAA
Extreme Impacts
From Steven Lee: “When the dust settled nearly 10 of the island homes were destroyed and another 30-40 percent were left with major structural damage fewer than 10 were spared entirely thousands of utility poles were snapped like toothpicks broken off at the ground roads and highways were blocked by the litter of the downed poles and power was lost to the entire island water also was cut off to virtually all areas and what water was left was usually contaminated telephone service was eliminated with a few inexplicable exceptional lines that remained connected to the mainland much of the outside world was in the dark about conditions on Kauai for several days until military relief flights began to touch down.”
This photo shows one of the 1,500 homes damaged by Hurricane Iniki on Kauai on September 11, 1992. Photo Credit-Wikimedia Commons-Public Domain.
It was quite apparent that Kauai sustained considerable damage to the island’s electrical, water, and communication infrastructure.
In fact, that power, water, and telephone lines took from three to six months to be restored in many areas. Because the island relied so much on tourism about
Three-quarters of the jobs on the island were eliminated. The Cocoa Palms Hotel and Resort suffered considerable damage and had to be closed. Only the Hilton Hotel remained open.
Many people found themselves out of work, so when reconstruction efforts began about six weeks later, many able-bodied men and women took on jobs in the reconstruction effort.
Thirty Years Later
There are still telltale signs around the landscape of Kauai of this historic weather event. To commemorate the 30-year anniversary, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) has released a short documentary video sharing the “Lessons of Iniki” shared by some of the people who responded to and were affected by the disaster.
The survivors that they interviewed told stories about those difficult times, and moments of humor and joy as well. Among the themes that emerged:
1) The importance of timely and accurate information for public safety
2) The need to make a plan and stock emergency supplies
3) The way the aloha spirit of Hawai‘i strengthens communities and connects neighbors who take care of each other when emergencies strike.
An architect on Kauai, Ron Agor, has developed plans to finally rebuild the Cocoa Palms Hotel and Resort.
Odds and Ends
The National Weather Service in Honolulu indicated that there was a favorable reaction to the warning and response
The public, along with state and local officials, felt that the NWS had done a nice job on Hurricane Iniki with adequate lead time on the watches and warnings. Some quotes received:
“The system worked – they (NWS) did the best they possibly could within their capabilities.” Malcolm Sussel, Director of Oahu Civil Defense.
“Pretty good job – everything worked well – NWS helped make a critical decision.” Frank Fasi, Mayor of Oahu.
“Best job in 15 years forecasting Hurricane In&i.” Tom Batey, Administrative Assistant to the Mayor of Kauai.
“Outstanding support – they INWSI did a 1st class job – the system worked – a model.” Donald Gransback, Chief, Training, Education of the State Office of the Director of Civil Defense.
“The advance warnings of the NWS, the preparations and broadcast instructions of Civil Defense, and other government agencies functioned well in this emergency, though later critiques are likely to show areas of improvement.” Editorial from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Although Oahu didn’t take a direct hit, there were some impacts.
Iniki produced tides up to 3 feet above normal on Oahu. Prolonged periods of high waves severely eroded and damaged the southwestern coast with the areas most affected being Barbers Point and Ka’ena. The Waiʻanae coastline experienced the most damage, with waves and storm surge flooding the second floor of beachside apartments. Overall, Hurricane Iniki caused several million dollars in property damage and two deaths on Oahu.
At the time, scenes from the movie “Jurassic Park” were being filmed on Kauai. Director Steven Spielberg was surprised by the storm. A good number of sets that were constructed for the movie were destroyed. A couple of aftermath scenes were included in the movie.
As Iniki roared through, a number of chicken coops were ripped apart, and several hundred chickens. mainly roosters escaped, Ths resulted in a large crossbreeding of the Red Junglefowl, which arrived during Polynesian migration more than 7,000 years ago, and common domestic chickens imported from the continental United States. These feral chickens are seen all across the island today.
Feral chickens, like the one in this photo, are seen all over the island of Kauai since Hurricane Iniki struck in September 1992. Photo Credit-Pinterest
All told, there were seven deaths attributed to Iniki, and over 1,000 were injured. The entire population of Kauai suffered at least some property damage. Around 1,500 homes were totally destroyed and a third of the island’s population was left homeless. Property damage alone totaled 1.8 billion (1992 dollars) and total damage exceeded 3 billion dollars (6 billion in today’s dollars)!
