As of this writing, a sizable and threatening tropical storm is bearing down on Hawai‘i.
Kama‘āina are all too familiar with the vulnerabilities associated with living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
However, there is an interesting dynamic amongst many locals. It's a defiance of the calls from government, non-profit agencies, and even family members to be prepared. There are some that will rather stock up on beer, cocktails, BBQ and poke and call those their survival supplies. I mean, if you're going to have a Hurricane Party, you'd better be prepared! Yes, that's right. While the vast majority of folks are battening down their respective hatches, others are making guest lists and preparing for a helluva time.
I may not agree, but I do understand.
Time after time we are warned of impending doom and cataclysmic impact.
Take television weather coverage.
I firmly believe there is a genuine desire to inform and educate the public in times of impending threat. There is a myriad to choose from including hurricanes, tropical storms, tsunamis, and more. With each event there is a relentless tempo of reports, segments, radar images and official statements from city, state and federal agencies. Again, I maintain that it's a true service to provide such information. However, there may be some unintended consequences.
I remember my initial days of my radio career here in Hawai‘i. KHVH was an ABC News affiliate, and I was called upon as a "stringer" (a freelance reporter) when the network required news from Honolulu and the state. In 1994, a tsunami warning was issued for Hawai‘i. We were informed that a tsunami had been generated and we would be affected. I filed reports to the network and here at home based on information provided and the urgency increased at time passed.
Evacuations were underway. Locals took to filled roadways leading to higher ground. Families were doing their best to communicate and ensure the safety of their loved ones.
Then the tsunami hit.
More accurately, it didn't.
Here is a UPI report documenting the occasion:
"HONOLULU, Oct. 4, 1994 -- A tsunami warning for Pacific islands and the West Coasts of Canada and the United States, issued after a great earthquake rocked Japan, was cancelled Tuesday after only a ripple was reported in the Hawaiian Islands."
Yes, there was a sigh of relief, but this was the beginning — from my perspective — of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" syndrome regarding severe warnings.
We have had numerous encounters with anticipated harm to Hawai‘i. And knock on wood, we have dodged what could have been dire consequences with each one of these challenges. Thank you, Lord.
But with each year and each warning not coming to fruition, unfortunately, the seeds of doubt have been planted and cultivated throughout the public.
Hurricane Iniki in 1992 serves as a reminder of a lack of control over the storm, but a need for precise, timely, and well-disseminated information.
Iniki was the costliest hurricane ever to strike Hawai‘i, causing $3.1 billion in damage (in today's dollars, a staggering $7.39 billion). That made it the third-costliest U.S. hurricane at the time, behind Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, one month earlier. It was the first significant hurricane to threaten the state since Hurricane Iwa 10 years earlier. Iniki affected all of Hawai‘i with high waves and strong winds, with the worst impacts on Kauaʻi. Seven people died during the hurricane – three on Kauaʻi, two offshore, and two on O‘ahu. The low death toll was likely due to well-executed warnings and preparation. Of the offshore deaths, two were Japanese nationals who died when their boat capsized south of Kauaʻi. There were also around 100 storm-related injuries throughout the state, some of which occurred during the hurricane's aftermath. More than 1,400 Kaua‘i homes were destroyed, another 5,000 severely damaged.
The line, "The low death toll was likely due to well-executed warnings and preparation" remains an essentially importance statement.
Just two weeks earlier it was the aforementioned Hurricane Andrew which struck Florida with incredible fury. The cost in lives and more was virtually unprecedented. I was with another local radio station in Honolulu at the time and, ironically, I had recently signed on after having spent years in Florida. It was shortly before Iniki struck that I recall interviewing the Hawai“i State Civil Defense spokesman about Hawai‘i's exposure. At the time, Iniki was brewing as a possible tropical storm and, fortunately, the state issued its own reports including warnings.
That proved to be critical because the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) failed to issue tropical cyclone warnings and watches 24 hours in advance. Among the explanations was the abrupt change in the storm's direction. I think we all recall Iniki tracking to hit the South side of O‘ahu, Waikīkī, with full force.
I'm not throwing anybody or any agency under the bus. This was more than three decades ago and a different time.
But the takeaway is, "The low death toll was likely due to well-executed warnings and preparation".
As stated, we are in that window of potential right now.
We also live in a time when information, technology, expertise and reach have never been more profound.
It's also clear that we have learned from the past. From governmental agencies to community organizations to neighbors and families who have never been so engaged. Yes, there are imperfections, but they do not define the generosity and compassion of so many for so many.
I am prayerful that we emerge yet again, relatively unscathed.
We have so recently endured Kona Low 1 and Kona Low 2.
What I can see is, regardless of what takes place in the coming days, the people of Hawai‘i will continue to share, support, assist and care for each other bringing to life the true Aloha Spirit.
So, I say, bring it on.
We're ready.
Rick Hamada can be reached at rickhamada@aol.com.
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