• Sudden storm Sudden storm Howling winds woke up Kaua’i hurricane veterans early Wednesday morning, bringing back distant memories of the screaming winds of Hurricane ‘Iniki that smashed into the island on September 11, 2001. The weather event was a
• Sudden storm
Sudden storm
Howling winds woke up Kaua’i hurricane veterans early Wednesday morning, bringing back distant memories of the screaming winds of Hurricane ‘Iniki that smashed into the island on September 11, 2001.
The weather event was a surprise, and unexpected, adding an element of adventure to what would have been a routine work day.
Many ‘Iniki survivors said the stormy weather front brought the strongest winds since the hurricane.
Those who haven’t experienced first-hand the raw wind power of nature striking Kaua’i got a taste of what ‘Iniki was like.
Windy Wednesday started with a gale-force blow, bringing down trees, peeling shingles from some roofs, knocking out power. The Westside and South Shore suffered wind-driven wave damage, and many sections of the island, from north to south to the west, were without power. However, the bad-weather day ended up being one that was thankfully more of a nuisance, then an emergency.
The reaction to the storm by the Kaua’i Civil Defense Agency, the Kaua’i Island Utilities Cooperative, the police and fire department all seemed to be the best we’ve seen, and all went according to plan. Dead traffic lights were manned, power came back gradually in some places, and rather quickly in others. In addition, medical teams seemed to be at the ready and well prepared. This bodes well for the day when a hurricane, tsunami or other natural disaster strikes again.
Hearing storm updates on KONG yesterday morning also brought back memories of ‘Iniki, with callers reporting from Hanalei to Kekaha with instant updates on the island’s storm news.
Another element of the storm was an opportunity to see a different side of Kaua’i’s spectacular natural setting. At dawn a hazy yellow ball of a sun rose over a windswept ocean, casting an eerie light across our coastlines.
The storm reminded all that Kaua’i is an island sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, located over 2,000 miles away from the nearest continent. We are vulnerable to the wild winter weather of the open ocean, thankfully, in most cases, sitting inside in warmth and safety rather than riding out the storm in sailboat or freighter.
Ramping up hurricane preparedness measures will surely be an after effect of this storm. With ‘Iniki over 11 years behind us, many households and businesses have become lax in storing drinking water and non-perishable foods, candles and other emergency supplies. Let’s all make an effort in the next few weeks to check out our supplies and be as prepared as possible.
