This past week was pretty stressful for the entire state of Hawaii with category 5 hurricane lane so close to the Hawaiian island chain, which was at one point predicted to affect all the islands and hit all the islands head on.  First the ballistic missile crisis, then this hurricane that looked like it placed a big bullseye right on the entire state.  There was a lot of love, support, and concern from family and friends, which was greatly appreciated.  This post is a recap all about hurricane Lane and will get the most common hurricane questions answered.  It’s also some useful hurricane information for disaster preparedness.

 

What is a Hurricane? Typhoon? Cyclone?

Basically they are similar and related.  A tropical cyclone is a rotating low-pressure weather system (storm) that has organized thunderstorms but no fronts (a boundary separating two air masses of different densities). Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 39 miles per hour (mph) are called tropical depressions. Those with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph or higher are called tropical storms.

When a storm’s maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, it is called a hurricane, which forms over tropical or subtropical waters.  Hurricanes spin clockwise instead of counterclockwise like they do in the northern hemisphere

A typhoon is the same thing as a hurricane, but is a tropical cyclone that forms in the western half of the pacific.  Cyclones denote either a typhoon or a hurricane, which are circular storms with winds 74 mph and greater. In the northern hemisphere they spin counter-clockwise, in the southern hemisphere they rotate clockwise.

 

When is hurricane season in Hawaii?

Hurricane season is June 1st to November 30th, with the highest months likely to spawn hurricanes from July to September. In reality storms do not actually follow any calendar and can occur any time of the year.  Hurricanes are just more likely to be born during the summer and fall months due to the warmer waters.

 

When was the last hurricane to hit Hawaii?

Hurricane Iniki hit the island of Kauai on September 11, 1992 as a category 4-5 hurricane.  Yes, September 11 seems to be a date with a lot of bad karma.  It killed 6 people, destroyed over 14,000 homes, and caused over 3 billion dollars in damages for a small island with a population of less than 60,000 people. See video below.

 

Though, just in elementary school at the time, I remember hurricane Iniki well.  Anyone who has ever experienced a hurricane does not forget the experience, and prepares with a little more caution and intention because of that experience.

 

What are the hurricane categories?

The hurricane category system is the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  This scale is based on the maximum sustained wind strength ranging from 74 mph to 157 mph and above. Wind gusts in the hurricane can be significantly higher than sustained wind speeds, especially between valleys or at the tops of mountains or tall buildings.  The higher the category the more destructive the hurricane. A category 1 hurricane generally causes some damage; a category 5 hurricane can bring about catastrophic damage.

 

 

 

Hurricane Lane Recap

Hurricane lane was predicted to initially hit the Hawaiian islands, then to “brush” by all the islands.  Honestly, when the forecasters predicted a 90 degrees turn to the left saying it would avoid the islands and die out, I thought they were just trying to avoid absolute panic and mayhem.  Luckily for the entire state, the forecasters were correct and hurricane lane quickly dissipated and veered sharply to the left.  Unfortunately, the hurricane slowed down so much that it was crawling at 8 miles an hour and took 2 whole days until it dissipated.  At least, not a big threat to most of the islands.  The Big Island took a hit with the rains, which caused major flooding.  The poor Big Island, first with lava and then massive flooding.  By the grace of God though, there were no casualties.

 

From the NOAA Website

 

Emergency Preparedness kit

Another hurricane is forecast to hit Hawaii within the next 72 hours.  It is hurricane season, with much more warnings than previous years.  Hurricane Olivia will travel right through the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 11 and 12, 2018.  September 11th strikes again!  Prayers for everyone in the state as it again prepares for a hurricane.  Everyone should be prepared for tropical storm force winds up to 79 mph.  Here’s a quick list for your disaster preparedness kit.  See also the Nuclear Bomb Preparedness article, as preparation is similar and the kits can be the same and can serve for any disaster or emergency.

 

 

Thanks for reading this post.  Hope all hurricane questions answered were helpful. Please let me know if you have other questions or concerns.  Subscribe for the latest articles and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

 

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