Hurricane Iwa

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox weather eventTemplate:Infobox weather event/NWSTemplate:Infobox weather event/EffectsTemplate:Infobox weather event/Footer Hurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name for the frigatebird (Template:Okinaiwa, lit. "Thief"), was at the time the costliest hurricane to affect the state of [[Hawaii|HawaiTemplate:Okinai]]. Iwa was the twenty-third tropical storm and the twelfth and final hurricane of the 1982 Pacific hurricane season. It developed from an active trough of low pressure near the equator on November 19. The storm moved erratically northward until becoming a hurricane on November 23 when it began accelerating to the northeast in response to strong upper-level flow from the north. Iwa passed within 25 miles of the island of [[Kauai|KauaTemplate:Okinai]] with peak winds of Template:Convert on November 23 (November 24 Coordinated Universal Time), and the next day it became extratropical to the northeast of the state.

The hurricane devastated the islands of [[Niihau|NiTemplate:Okinaihau]], [[Kauai|KauaTemplate:Okinai]], and [[Oahu|OTemplate:Okinaahu]] with wind gusts exceeding Template:Convert and rough seas exceeding Template:Convert in height. Maui & Molokaʻi also experienced strong winds and heavy rainfall although less severe compared to Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. Hurricane Iwa also affected uninhabited or sparsely populated islands and atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The first significant hurricane to hit the Hawaiian Islands since statehood in 1959, Iwa severely damaged or destroyed 2,345 buildings, including 1,927 houses, leaving 500 people homeless. Damage throughout the state totaled $312 million (1982 USD$, Template:Formatprice Template:Inflation/year USD). One person was killed from the high seas, and three deaths were indirectly related to the hurricane's aftermath.

Meteorological history

Template:Storm path A very active trough of low pressure persisted along the equator in the middle of November, with westerly surface winds and windspread convection located along the trough from 140° W to 140° E. An organized circulation developed near Palmyra Atoll on November 18, and steadily developed as it drifted westward.<ref name="cphc">Template:Cite web</ref> Though very late in the season, warm temperatures to the south of the Hawaiian Islands due to the strongest El Niño in many years allowed the disturbance to develop into Tropical Storm Iwa on November 19 while located about Template:Convert southwest of the southernmost point in Hawaii. The storm tracked slowly northward after forming and initially remained a weak tropical storm. After turning to the northeast, Iwa began slowly intensifying, and on November 23 after turning to the north-northwest Iwa strengthened into a hurricane while located Template:Convert southwest of the southern tip of Hawaii.<ref name="cphc"/><ref name="mwl">Template:Cite web</ref>

Shortly after becoming a hurricane, Iwa turned and accelerated to the northeast in response to strong upper level flow to its north. The hurricane possessed sufficient moisture, instability, and upper divergence for continued intensification, and Iwa reached peak winds of Template:Convert late on November 23 while located Template:Convert southwest of Waimea on the island of [[Kauai|KauaTemplate:Okinai]]. Its forward speed increased to 30 to 40 mph, and Iwa passed just north of the island of Kauai on November 23 (November 24 in UTC). The right semicircle of the storm extended across KauaTemplate:Okinai and [[Oahu|OTemplate:Okinaahu]], with gusts from Template:Convert. After passing Hawaii, the convection of Iwa rapidly deteriorated as it gradually lost tropical characteristics. Late on November 24, the hurricane degenerated into a tropical storm, and on November 25 Iwa became an extratropical cyclone while located about Template:Convert northeast of Hawaii.<ref name="mwl"/>

Impact

Template:Wettest tropical cyclones in Hawaii Hurricane Iwa produced estimated gusts reaching Template:Convert across [[Kauai|KauaTemplate:Okinai]] and [[Oahu|OTemplate:Okinaahu]]. The acceleration of the hurricane concentrated the energy of its swells, resulting in high waves and storm surge across the Hawaiian Islands, though primarily near the path of the center. It is estimated the storm surge reached eight feet (two meters) on the south coast of KauaTemplate:Okinai.<ref name="mwl"/> There, the surge reached Template:Convert inland, exceeding a 100-year flood event for the area.<ref name="usgs">Template:Cite web</ref> The heaviest rainfall reported from the island chain was from the Intake Wainiha 1086 site, where Template:Convert was measured.Template:Tropical Cyclone Point Maxima Possible tornadoes were reported in association with a rain squall in OTemplate:Okinaahu.<ref name="mwl"/> Waves on the coast of OTemplate:Okinaahu reached 16.4 feet in height (3 m),<ref name="wave">Template:Cite web</ref> and waves on southern KauaTemplate:Okinai surpassed Template:Convert in height.<ref name="star">Template:Cite news</ref>

During the worst of the storm, 5,800 people were evacuated from shoreline areas of [[Kauai|KauaTemplate:Okinai]] to temporary shelters. Strong waves sank or grounded several small vessels on the southwestern coast of KauaTemplate:Okinai,<ref name="mwl"/> with 44 of the 45 boats at Port Allen being sunk.<ref name="star"/> The worst of the damage from the hurricane occurred in Poipu, where the rough surf destroyed or severely damaged several exposed luxury hotels and condominiums. Elsewhere on the island, damage was greatest in areas where there was no protective barrier reef offshore. Several small aircraft were damaged at Lihue airport from the winds, including many overturned small planes.<ref name="mwl"/> The winds destroyed several buildings across the island, including one of KauaTemplate:Okinai's oldest churches and a warehouse. Additionally, the winds destroyed the roof of a bank.<ref name="upi1125"/> Strong winds initially left the entire island of KauaTemplate:Okinai without power.<ref name="upi1124">Template:Cite news</ref> Highway 56 on the east side of the island was obstructed by fallen telephone poles, forcing residents to drive on the unpaved, red dirt cane roads usually reserved for hauling sugar cane from the fields. Rising waters washed out multiple roads near the coastline. The strong winds destroyed nearly all papaya and banyan trees on the island.<ref name="upi1219">Template:Cite news</ref> The hurricane destroyed or greatly damaged 1,907 homes on the island and caused minor damage to 2,983 others, leaving one-eighth of the island's homes unlivable.<ref name="upi1130">Template:Cite news</ref>

[[File:330-CFD-DN-SN-83-03110 (37001044216).jpg|thumb|Damage caused by Hurricane Iwa on [[Kauai|KauaTemplate:Okinai]] on November 24]]

Rough seas killed a person on the USS Goldsborough in Pearl Harbor when the seaman hit a stanchion,<ref name="cphc"/> with four others injured on the ship. One of the four injured was swept overboard two miles (three kilometers) from the harbor. Before the arrival of the hurricane, around 1,000 evacuated the low-lying coastline to shelters.<ref name="upi1125">Template:Cite news</ref> Rough waves destroyed four and damaged two deep-water communication cables between OTemplate:Okinaahu and KauaTemplate:Okinai.<ref name="wave"/> In [[Oahu|OTemplate:Okinaahu]], damage from wind and surf was heaviest on the southwest coast between Nānākuli and Mākaha. The storm surge washed sand into streets in Waikīkī and flooded cars in areas of basement parking. Wind damage was greatest in areas where winds blew from southerly directions off of mountains. The winds damaged several small aircraft and a Douglas DC-3 plane in Honolulu. Gusty winds shattered glass windows in the Honolulu International Airport, injuring several passengers.<ref name="mwl"/> Some flights in and out of the Honolulu airport were delayed, while other domestic airports were temporarily closed.<ref name="upi1125"/> The passage of the hurricane damaged at least 6,391 homes, 21 hotels, and two condominium buildings on the island.<ref name="upi1128">Template:Cite news</ref> Additionally, 418 buildings, including 30 businesses, were destroyed on OTemplate:Okinaahu.<ref name="upi1130"/>

Surf damage was reported throughout the Hawaiian islands.<ref name="mwl"/> 120 people were treated for injuries,<ref name="upi1125"/> though most were minor.<ref name="mwl"/> An estimated 500 people throughout Hawaii were left homeless due to the hurricane.<ref name="upi1125"/> Damage on the private island of [[Niihau|NiTemplate:Okinaihau]] was severe. An aerial survey indicated 20 homes were destroyed and 160 were damaged, indicating that the hurricane affected nearly all of the island's 226 residents. Reportedly no one was injured on NiTemplate:Okinaihau.<ref name="upi1130"/> At the time, Hurricane Iwa was the costliest storm to hit the state of HawaiTemplate:Okinai,<ref name="usgs"/> with damage totaling $312 million (1982 USD$, Template:Formatprice Template:Inflation/year USD).<ref name="damage 2006">Template:Cite web</ref>

The last female Kauaʻi ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus) was lost in the storm. Her mate was recorded singing in solitary until he went silent and presumably died in 1987, marking the extinction of their species.<ref>Template:Cite iucn</ref>

Aftermath

Three days after Hurricane Iwa passed the state, Governor George Ariyoshi declared the islands of Kauai and NiTemplate:Okinaihau as disaster areas and began filing papers for a federal disaster declaration.<ref name="upi1126">Template:Cite news</ref> On November 28, five days after the hurricane struck, President Ronald Reagan declared the islands of KauaTemplate:Okinai, NiTemplate:Okinaihau, and OTemplate:Okinaahu as a disaster area. The declaration allocated federal funds to aid the affected citizens.<ref name="upi1128"/> The state Department of Education decided to close all schools on KauaTemplate:Okinai indefinitely.<ref name="upi1130"/>

The thousands of residents without power celebrated Thanksgiving by cooking turkeys on outdoor grills or smokers. Army and Air Force planes delivered 20,000 Thanksgiving rations to the thousands left in temporary shelters. The United States military also airlifted generators to KauaTemplate:Okinai due to several days of power outages.<ref name="upi1126"/> By three weeks after the hurricane, utility crews restored power to nearly all major areas in OTemplate:Okinaahu, while 5,000 remained without power in KauaTemplate:Okinai.<ref name="upi1130"/> By around a month after the hurricane passed the island, utilities were restored to most of the entire island. All roads and highways were cleared, as well.<ref name="upi1219"/> One 25th Infantry Division soldier at Schofield Barracks died while cleaning up after the hurricane.<ref name="cphc"/> Two people died in a traffic accident due to malfunctioning traffic lights.<ref name="adver">Template:Cite news</ref>

Retirement

Template:Main In 1983, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Iwa from the Central Pacific lists of tropical cyclone names. It was initially replaced with Io, which was changed to Iona in 2007. Iwa was the first name retired in the basin following implementation of the modern system of Central Pacific tropical storm naming.<ref name=MGTCS>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=ATWC>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Hurricane Dot (1959)
• Hurricane Iniki
• Hurricane Lane (2018)
• List of Pacific hurricanes
• List of Hawaii hurricanes
• List of retired Pacific hurricane names