PDC Updates | June 5, 2007
Hawaii Historical Storm Tracks
The tracks of six significant hurricanes in the vicinity of Hawaii are shown here. As you see, only two made landfall, however all six brought severe weather, some caused destructive coastal storm surges, and storms passing at even greater distances from the islands can raise damaging winds.

According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, the 2007 hurricane outlook calls for a slightly below average season. In a typical year, four to five tropical cyclones will form within the west-central Pacific around Hawaii or move into the area having formed in the eastern Pacific. On average, two of these tropical cyclones would reach hurricane status, meaning the wind speed in the storm is 74 miles per hour or greater.

The hurricane season in Hawaii begins on June 1 and continues through the end of November. The season begins two weeks earlier in the eastern Pacific.

Pacific Disaster Center Weather Specialist Glenn James said, “Typically we see perhaps one system spinning-up during the last two weeks of May in the eastern Pacific, although tropical cyclones don’t ‘get down to business’ until later in June into July, peaking out in August and September, then winding down rather quickly in October into November. In contrast, here in the central Pacific, the season starts in June, but it is rare to see anything happening until July, or more likely August through September.” Nonetheless, tropical storms—at hurricane strength or not—James emphasizes, are erratic, sometimes forming outside the seasonal calendar and often surprising even the best meteorologist with both their variable strength and their track across sea and land.

In the weeks leading up to the start of the hurricane season each year, Hawaii State Civil Defense conducts Makani Pahili, a hurricane response exercise that tests the readiness of services at all levels. Pacific Disaster Center is a regular participant in Makani Pahili, and supported the exercise for 2007 in the week of May 15. First responders, health care services, weather offices and even military commands work together on this exercise each year, usually discovering a few problems to be ironed out and a few new techniques to be worked into the response scenario.

Even with all the emergency service providers prepared and exercised, and with a lighter than usual hurricane season predicted, preparedness is everything. A single hurricane—perhaps the only one to threaten Hawaii in a given year—can be a disaster. Preparedness of individuals, households and communities is as important as the preparedness of service organizations.

If you have any doubt about your preparedness for hurricanes and other severe weather, now is the time to create and rehearse an emergency plan with your family and to put together a disaster survival kit. The information you need can be found on PDC’s website under “Resources.” County Civil Defense Agencies also have special resources available, and the County of Maui has recently launched a special website of locally relevant links to information.