Hurricane Iniki caused more than $3 billion in damages - an amount that would be around $6 billion today due to inflation. For example, while he was waiting for Yukimura to return to Kauai just before the storm, he was busy doing the necessary work in anticipation of asking for state and federal hurricane assistance. Already a subscriber? PHOTOS: 28 years ago, Hurricane Iniki devastated Kauai, Former Mililani High athletic director indicted, 'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano, KHNLPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KGMBPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KFVEPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KSIXPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KOGGPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246. It was adesignated shelter, and about 1,200 people took refuge from the hurricane there. When Iniki moved over Kauai in the afternoon of September 11, 1992, wind speeds were estimated at 130 mph with gusts to 160 mph, and its central pressure was approximately 945 millibars. Similar to Hurricane Andrew, which struck Florida only a couple of weeks before, there are few signs still around today from the 1992 storm. The Shido Building, which is now painted red and marked circa 1923, still stands and is visible in the background. Telephone: 808-529-4747. Meanwhile, FEMA has distributed more than $250 million and the Small Business Administration $138 million. Hurricane Iniki was by far the strongest and most destructive. Print subscriber but without online access? Still, "It is remarkable how fast nature recovers from these things," he said. redistributed. With climate change elevating storm concerns, it doesnt seem very wise to rebuild in the exact same spot, Kawakami said. Yukimura was in office when the Category 4 storm hit the island on Sept. 11, 1992. Neighbors shared tarps, stoves, lanterns, showers, water or anything else they could pool. This photo shows one of the 1,500 homes damaged by Hurricane Iniki on Kauai on September 11, 1992. A photo of a Kauai business building struck by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Some 4,000 others sustained serious damage. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. "I don't mind it. Video of the waves and the torrential rainfall was actually taken along Kauai's Nawiliwili Bay during the run-up to Iniki's landfall. County leaders say it took about a decade for the island to completely recover. Telephone service was lost. Hurricane Lane didn't hit any of the islands. It was during the 1991-1994 El Nino that hurricanes such as Iniki were formed along the Central Pacific. Nicholas Barretto on Twitter: "Hurricane Iniki was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded to strike . Zephyr Insurance is the leading provider of residential hurricane coverage in Hawaii. It hit on Sept. 11, 1992 the strongest storm in modern Hawaii history. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Fortunately for the Jurassic Park staff and other tourists, resorts on the island were well constructed, but that was not the case for many parts of the fourth-largest island of the Hawaiian archipelago. Hurricane Iniki made landfall in Hawaii on September 11, 1992. Only six deaths were reported. More than 2,000 houses were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. In 1992, Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai, causing 2.4 billion dollars in damage. She sees no choice but to rebuild next to the ocean. Following Hurricane Iniki in 1992 (estimated $3 billion in damage), insurance companies refused to sell . This time the storm destroyed 50% of the islands power lines. Total cost of damages was around $1.8 billion (which is more like $3 billion in 2016 dollars). One mistake is not being repeated. The island of Hawaii had massive amounts of rain, it's the island that saw the worst effects. Typical of the human imports is John Dodge, a wallboard finisher from Seattle working 60-hour, seven-day weeks to reopen the oceanside Mokihana condominium and Bullshed restaurant in Kapaa. After the 1982 hurricane, home-building codes were relaxed for a year to speed reconstruction. For the disaster response, Yukimura gave lots of credit to Tom Batey, her managing director, a veteran Hawaii State Civil Defense official who took up his new position only a month prior to Iniki. Yukimura sayssome of theanemometers, or devices used to measure wind velocity,broke off at about 200 mph up in the mountains. Richard says. The devastation was overwhelming, she recalled in an interview last week. In 2015, Hawaii faced three Category 4 hurricanes at the same timeKilo, Ignacio, and Jimena. Hurricane Iniki was packing 140 mph winds went it made landfall on Kauai. Items like candles, batteries, and flashlights quickly sold out. The destructive force of hurricanes in Hawaii was powerfully demonstrated on 11 September 1992 when Hurricane Iniki struck the island of Kauai with sustained winds of 130 mph and caused over $2.3 billion in property . The director was with his cast and crew on the island filming, what would become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, Jurassic Park. Copyright 2023 StarAdvertiser.com. Hurricane Iniki was the costliest hurricane to strike the state of Hawaii, causing $3.1 billion in damage. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. rights reserved. Discovery Company. 2023 Getty Images. Dennis Fujimoto / AP 1982, Hurricane Iwa : This storm caused severe property damage and one death. He said the coordination between local and federal agencies was a "textbook" disaster response. Ed Nakaya, now working for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, says even though their building was damaged, they still made it work. Earlier on the day after the storm, 15-year-old Derek Kawakami, who would go on to become the current mayor of Kauai, emerged from his relatively unscathed Lihue home into a scene of broken trees, blown roofs, downed power lines and scattered debris. Copyright 2017Hawaii News Now. It was the second and final named hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii since Hurricane Dot in 1959. On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki - also a Category 4 storm - passed north directly through Kauai, causing about $3 billion in damage, killing several people and knocking out power for . Updated Dodge is one of more than 15 Seattle craftsmen hired by Brad Fleeson of Fleeson Constructors on Seattle's Queen Anne Hill. The storm devastated the island, causing millions of dollars in damage, killing six, and injuring more than 100. On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki also a Category 4 storm passed north directly through Kauai, causing about $3 billion in damage, killing several people and knocking out power for weeks there. MEMORIES OF the costliest and most powerful storm on record to strike Hawaii will forever be seared in the minds of the two mayors, one who was leading at the time and the other who experienced the devastation through the eyes of a teenager. Kauaians remain remarkably cheerful. A photo of a . Even though the hurricane force winds were confined to the island of Kauai, all the other islands in the state experienced some damage from strong winds and heavy (4-6 foot) surf. (Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images), Scene from Jurassic Park Four weeks into the disaster, only 20% of the islands electricity was restored. Residents described this place as looking like a "plucked chicken" after Iniki, the worst hurricane in Hawaiian history, struck Sept. 11. 6055 W 130th St Parma, OH 44130 | 216.362.0786 | mystique quotes apocalypse. Kauai has heard that before, and a Kauai Planning Commission meeting last month drew dozens of unhappy residents to testify in opposition to the latest resort plans. Hurricane Iniki (1992) is the most recent hurricane that hit the islands with devastating results. Both skilled labor and construction supplies specially suited for the tropics must be imported, much of it from the Pacific Northwest. Request more information about UH Hilo, an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Title IX institution and a campus of the University of Hawaii system. When the center of Iniki came onshore, sustained winds were blowing at 140 miles per hour, with gusts up to 175 mph and even stronger in mountain passes. 2023 University of Hawaii at Hilo, 200 W. Kwili St., Hilo, HI, 96720. (Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images), Jurassic Park falls. All Rights Reserved. Browse 3 hurricane_iniki stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. "It was almost a million dollars of damage on our property alone," Ota said about Hurricane Iniki. Siemens Chicago Headquarters, Local officials reported that 12,000. YUKIMURA WAS at an Oahu fundraiser on Sept. 10 but was summoned home late that night, hitching a ride on a military flight. "That next day when we came down to clean up, we had to unpack all the sand and seaweed and large rocks that had stuffed themselves all the way to the back coolers and everything.". . Once the airlines stopped service, many people were shuttled to nearby shelters, including the former Westin Kauai. The arduous cleanup and rebuilding would go on for years, with one Poipu hotel not reopening for 16 years. It took the utility more than two months to restore the grid to all neighborhoods, but some families still spent the holidays in the dark. When Hurricane Iniki was south of Kauai, winds were estimated to be between 145 mph-175 mph wind, as it moved over Kauai, the wind miles per hour dropped to 130-160. Kauai resident Mike Miranda was 12 when Hurricane Iniki devastated the island 26 years ago. The crew was in their final days of filming scenes when the Category 4 storm struck the island chain. Hurricane Iniki made us realize what was truly important, the former mayor said in a statement of remembrance issued Friday. Charles Fletcher, a coastal marine geologist at the University of Hawaii, questions the wisdom of that. Across Kauai, residents boarded up their windows and thousands of visitors were at Lihue Airport hoping to get off the island. Even all these years later, Iniki remains the most powerful hurricane to hit the state in modern history. In all, Hurricane Inikis $3 billion in damage made it one of the costliest storms in American history at the time. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Not knowing that he had not been told yet about the impending hurricane," said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. It was a small but intense hurricane which was classified as a minimal category Four on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Kawakami said hes saddened by the 30-year plight of the Coco Palms, considering its illustrious past as one of Hawaiis premier resorts. FROM THE ARCHIVES: 20 years later, Kauai residents remember Iniki, Hurricane Iniki Twenty Years Later - Monday Report with Dan Cooke, 'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano, KHNLPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KGMBPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KFVEPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KSIXPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KOGGPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246. On Kauai's North Shore, the strong winds rocked the Princeville Hotel, which is now known as the St. Regis Princeville Resort. Officials believe the situation is temporary. Hurricane Iniki was the most powerful hurricane in recent memory to hit the Hawaiian Islands. Coppin Colburn, now the Director of Security at the hotel, remembers well what he was doing. The glass windows flexed as if they were breathing, and family members had to yell in order to communicate. The hurricane damaged or destroyed 14,350 homes on Kauai, according to Red Cross figures. 1992, Hurricane Iniki: This was the most devastating hurricane to ever strike Hawaii. All suffered heavy damage from Iniki, which on Sept. 11, 1992, destroyed or damaged most of the structures on this 627-square-mile island. John Greco, co-owner of Bubba's Burgers, said it was too late and too dangerous to take a look around. Informative Speech About Slavery, The storm caused more than $7 billion in damage when adjusted for inflation, according to a 2014 University of Hawaii study. Fleeson said he bid the job by studying aerial photographs of the ravaged unit published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Federal officials said Iniki (pronounced ee-NEE-kee), which had 160 mph wind gusts, was slightly weaker than Hurricane Andrew, which hit the Bahamas and then devastated southern Florida and parts . Collect, curate and comment on your files. Thirty years ago, Hurricane Iniki ravaged the Island of Kauai, destroying more than 1,400 homes and leaving behind $3 billion in damage. . Yet she made a trip to Japan recently to promote tourism recovery. Andrew caused major damage in the Bahamas and Louisiana as well, but it was the most destructive hurricane in Florida's history. [7] Of the nearly 22,000 residents on the island at the time, almost all experienced some kind of damage to their property. 'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano, KHNLPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KGMBPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KFVEPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KSIXPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KOGGPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246. (Andre Seale/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images). But she definitely had the attention of all people in Hawaii. appreciated. More common are stripped trees sprouting new growth, or dead ones with a fast-rising understory once more cloaking the mountains in green. One woman on Kauai died of a heart attack when part of her house fell on her, while a man was killed by flying debris as he was dashing to a neighbors house with his own residence falling apart. High surf along the shoreline washed cars on top of one another. If not for this disaster ($3.1 billion of damage in a community of just 51,000) and my father's death in 1996, my family would not have our financial issues. HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - At 8 a.m. on Sept. 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki reached its peak intensity and was headed straight for . About 100 people were injured from the storm. Six weeks after the storm, the green came back, repairing the scenic damage with a speed that surprised even those who live here. All rights reserved. Hurricane Iniki was a Category 4 hurricane that struck the island of Kauai on September 11, 1992. Without a plethora of media sources, many tourists on the island didn't know about the impending disaster, including a man named Steven Spielberg. Adjusted for inflation, Iniki caused roughly . Loss of tourism revenue is estimated at $250 million to $500 million. (Photo copyright NOAA NWS), High surf along the shoreline washed cars on top of one another. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Iniki caused six deaths and more than $3 billion in damages to the state . Four weeks after the storm, only 20% of the power had been restored, NOAA said. 1992 was the most active Pacific hurricane season on record. Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew West . Hurricane Iniki On September 11, 1992, the residents of the state of Hawai'i were awakened at 5:30am by Civil Defense alarms. These links on the Internet from around the world reminds us of what impact the day September 11, 1992 had for the people on Kauai and throughout Hawaii. The hurricane damaged or destroyed 14,350 homes on Kauai, according to Red Cross figures. Hurricane Iwa in 1982 and Hurricane Iniki in 1992 were especially destructive, causing billions of dollars in damage, especially on Kaua'i. Slowly, it begun to gain strength and to move northeastward. Popular Poipu restaurant Brennecke's Beach Broiler survived, but took a beating. The hurricane wreaked havoc on the islands electrical and phone systems as well. If there is such a thing as a "proper" disaster, Iniki was probably it. The storm caused over $1.8 billion in damages, 1,400 destroyed homes and resulted in six deaths. Batey knew what he was doing. That made it the third-costliest United States hurricane at the time, behind Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, one month prior to Iniki. As Hurricane Lane barrels toward Hawaii as a Category 4 storm, longtime residents are recalling the last time a hurricane made a direct hit on the state. It passed just west of Kauai, causing severe property damage, minor physical injuries and one death. It knocked down thousands of utility poles, cutting off power. There is still damage on the island decades later. Landslides on the steep and spectacular Na Pali coast to the north may also take a long time to repair, he warned. Iniki has given fast-developing Kauai an enforced breather to consider growth issues. Adjusted for inflation, Dot's damage figure nears US$50 million. Wallace Stickney, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the patience and self-help of the residents were among the best he had ever seen. (Click on image to see full size) Hurricanes in Hawaii: Hurricanes are relatively rare events in the Hawaiian Islands. Hurricanes cause widespread and extensive damage from high winds, dangerous surf, and flooding. Iniki's high winds stripped foliage from trees and branches. 1982 - Hurricane Iwa: Hurricane Iwa was a category one hurricane was the most damaging, to date, to hit Hawaii. Free with trial. Bass Pro Black Friday 2021, Shayda Marciel, a former cashier at the Sheraton, has worked as a security guard at the wounded resort since the storm and, until a week ago, her family lived in a tent in their roofless living room. The massive Category 4 storm damaged or destroyed 90% of the islands homes and buildings. Some Hawaii hurricane trivia: 26 years ago, filming of "Jurassic Park" was temporarily halted as Hurricane Iniki, a category 4, hit the island of Kauai. Two doors down there was a house that looked like it was hit by a bomb, Kawakami recalled. Those who took shortcuts paid dearly Sept. 11. . Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. That event may not be far away. TODAY, THERE arent a lot of visual reminders of Hurricane Iniki on Kauai with one rather large exception: the Coco Palms Resort. And he looked at me so strangely. "It was devastating. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. 1992, Hurricane Iniki: This was the most devastating hurricane to ever strike Hawaii. The photos below are courtesy of the NOAA National Weather Service. At least three people died, vegetation was stripped bare, more than 14,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, and most of the more than 100 resorts, hotels and condominums were knocked out of business by winds that averaged 145 mph. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Iniki was the deadliest and by far the costliest hurricane to ever strike Hawaii. More than 2,000 houses were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. KAUAI COUNTY, HAWAII (KITV4) -- Thirty years ago, Hurricane Iniki ravaged the Island of Kauai, destroying more than 1,400 homes and leaving behind $3 billion in damage. The Sheraton at Poipu had finished a $22 million renovation of its beachfront side in April. On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki struck Kauai, causing over $3 billion in damage and six deaths. In shortest supply are building materials and good contractors. On the morning of Sept. 11, the warning sirens blared early and his father woke him up to tell him he had to go to work to help people buy provisions for the storm, expected to arrive that afternoon. Mahoning Valley Scrappers Tickets. Even the roof of this building being used by the Red Cross was not spared damage from Hurricane Iniki. The impact was devastating, killing six, injuring more than 100 and causing . The name Iniki was retired because of the damage it caused, replaced by Iolana in the central-north Pacific tropical storm list. Depending on who is doing the counting, the island experienced at least $1 billion (federal-government estimate) or $2 billion (county of Kauai) in damage. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Some 4,000 others sustained serious damage. We previously stayed in what is now the Ko'a Kea, which was getting pretty run down.The Hyatt re-opened in 2003, and there was a video for years, that ran each hour in Stevenson's Library, showing the destruction the hurricane did to the hotel and Poipu, and the effort of the staff before and during the storm. This time officials are insisting rebuilders include hurricane clips to hold down roofs, plus other precautions. Ten years after Hurricane Iwa, a Category 1 storm, ravaged the island, Kauai was decimated again. Ralph Lauren Corporation Wiki, The warning sirens started blaring early that morning and the hours before impact were chaotic. Hurricane Iniki: 20 Years Later. Photo: NOAA. The good news in the short run is that much of Kauai will be rebuilt in the next year. Iniki was the second bad storm in a decade and the fourth in living memory of some islanders. The next day Hurricane Iniki took a sharp turn north and barreled into Kauai, causing the deaths of seven people and over $1.8 billion in damage. of 1. Iniki was the third most-damaging hurricane in U.S. history, after Andrew, which struck Florida in August, and Hugo, which devastated parts of the Southeast in 1989. Only four hurricanes have impacted the islands since 1950. Even now, 26 years later, it remains the most costly and powerful hurricane to strike the Hawaiian islands, according to NOAA. Photo Credit-Wikimedia Commons-Public Domain. Those restaurants still open are crowded with construction workers - some from the Seattle area - instead of tourists. More than 2,000 houses on Kauai were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. . With the extent of damage . Even 30 years later, the sights and sounds and memories of Hurricane Iniki are fresh. "Some people are cautious about bringing visitors back too soon.". First it was Hurricane Iniki in 1992. "Everyone who comes to Hawaii wants to stay on the beach.". Many islanders are surprised at how swiftly they are putting their lives back together. Iwa was the very last hurricane of the 1982 season, forming in November and costing the state $312 million of damage. (Photo copyright NOAA NWS) Please use the links below for donations: There were places on the south shore that were inundated, houses were knocked off their foundations and vehicles were gone. "Because there was such a large volume of people coming in and they were in the meeting rooms on the 10th floor, we had meeting rooms on the 8th floor and we had corridors that were filled, corridors that people had never seen before that we were putting people in to keep them safe.". Storm surge produced widespread flooding along the coastline. Hawaii. Scene from 1993 motion picture Jurassic Park All Rights Reserved. Hurricanes cause widespread and extensive damage from high winds, dangerous surf, and flooding. Showing results for hurricane iniki. "After a disaster like this, people tend to become closer," said Elizabeth Kawamura, public-relations representative for the two-year-old Hyatt Regency Kauai. It's a challenge.". Hurricane Iniki was the most destructive hurricane to hit the islands of Hawaii over this century and is the third in the U.S. history to be the most damaging. John D. Waihee III . On Sept. 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki scoured . Hawaii Hurricane Devastates Kauai Iniki Blamed For 3 Deaths, Scores of Injuries By Al Kamen . For their part, aid workers who have come to Kauai return the islanders' praise. Hurricane Iniki was the third most damaging hurricane in U.S. history, and the most destructive to hit the Hawaiian Islands in this century. Annually, between four and five tropical [] A photo of a Kauai business building struck by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. considerable damage. But Ojas' plight is an exception, and, with government aid, she is expected to be moved to a hotel soon. Storm surge can cause extensive flood damage to structures near shorelines, even those that are not usually prone to flooding. Eugene O'neill Biography, Until the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, Iniki was the thrd most destructive hurricane in U. S. history and the most destructive to hit the Hawaiian Islands in the 20th Century. (Photo copyright NOAA NWS), Storm surge produced widespread flooding along the coastline. Ten years ago, Hurricane Iwa hit Kauai with 110 m.p.h. 2023 Cable News Network. "She shouldn't be in Japan," said Mari Ojas, 19, a former hula instructor at the Coco Palms resort who has been living in a tent with her 2-year-old daughter since the hurricane. A few hours before it made landfall, Iniki had sustained winds of 145 mph and gusts of 185 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane, just 10 mph under the sustained wind speed that would classify. Kapaas Kuhio Highway and Kauwila Street now. Travelers who return now. Repair crews are swarming like bees on roofs all over the island. Iniki's high winds stripped foliage from trees and branches. LIHUE, Hawaii - The island of Kauai is known for its untouched, natural beauty, but 30 years ago, the most destructive storm in Hawaii's history, Hurricane Iniki, ravaged the island with 145 mph winds catching many residents and tourists off-guard. Looking back, Yukimura said there was a positive spiritual side to Iniki, one that she described as a collective near-death experience for the people of the island.. Next to him was his daughter, Jenn. "Downstairs, the restaurant was flooded all the way up to the ceiling," said Gordines. Read more. I remember that particular moment like it was yesterday, he said. Hurricane Iniki was the third most damaging hurricane in U.S. history, and the most destructive to hit the Hawaiian Islands in this century. Parts of the state had no electricity for weeks, and thousands of people were displaced from their homes. This GOES-17 taken at 3:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, July 23, 2020, shows Hurricane Douglas, right, churning in the Pacific Ocean heading towards Hawaii, left. Just two years ago, heavy rains triggered landslides that cut off entire communities on Kauai's north shore for . If he had his way, the vulnerable property close to the shore would be returned to its natural state to help absorb the impact of the next big storm. Winds topped 145 mph during landfall. The hurricane had a profound effect on the people who survived it, too. It made us appreciate the facilities, services and amenities we had taken for granted running water and hot showers, for example. Cyclone strom winds palm trees . Read the full story with our Print & Digital Subscription. While there are plenty of tales of individual hardship - the shutdown of tourism pushed the unemployment rate to 25 percent by October - many Kauaians praised the response of both the government and the insurance industry in providing aid and settling claims. (Photo copyright NOAA NWS) Free with trial. tjc west campus catalog 2021. A Navy instrument on a 1,500-foot-high ridge recorded a gust of 227 mph before it was swept away. But some island properties were so badly damaged they won't be open until next fall. Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. When Kawakami remembers Iniki, what comes to mind is the fact he had just made the Kauai High School varsity football team as a sophomore. (AP Photo) Updated on Jul 27, 2020 12:49 PM IST Share Via Hurricane Iniki formed up in the South Pacific, slowly approaching Hawaii in a very indirect route, approaching and veering alternately as sort of a tease. The legendary hotel, famously featured in Elvis Presleys 1961 film Blue Hawaii, was shuttered when Iniki hit and never reopened for various reasons. Yukimura said she grew emotional as the aircraft approached the south side of the island and she had trouble recognizing the landscape. But, as this The impact was devastating, killing six, injuring more than 100 and causing . The next day Hurricane Iniki took a sharp turn north and barreled into Kauai, causing the deaths of seven people and over $1.8 billion in damage . Another house with a roof of blue tiles appeared to have come apart like it was built out of Legos.. Iniki "was the most destructive hurricane to strike Hawaii in the 20th century." The Poipu Beach area on the south shore, blasted by Hurricane Iwa on Nov. 23, 1982, was ravaged even worse this time. When it seemed we had lost everything, we realized we had a lot our lives, our loved ones, our neighbors and friends, and the will to rebuild better and stronger, she said. It was not until Yukimura saw the Koloa Mill that she finally got her bearings. The storm caused over $1.8 billion in damages, 1,400 destroyed homes and resulted in six deaths. #7-500 Watch video of Hurricane Estelle damage to Puna in 1986. Also see other NOAA images including hurricanes . That was the spirit that told me were going to do it. In 2015, Hawaii faced three Category 4 hurricanes at the same time . Iniki was the third most-damaging hurricane in U.S. history, after Andrew, which struck Florida in August, and Hugo, which devastated parts of the Southeast in 1989. 7 FACTS TO KNOW ABOUT HURRICANES Iniki's high winds stripped foliage from trees and branches. Heavy waves battered coastal areas of southern . Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. More than 5,000 utility poles were downed across the island, and the power company, called Kauai Electric back then, had even more challenges closer to home. It looked like giant claws had scraped the coastline, she said. Iniki caused $3.1 billion in damage, making it the 2nd costliest Pacific hurricane on record. At the time, Kauai had a population of just over 51,000 people. Hurricane Iniki was packing 140 mph winds went it made landfall on Kauai. Lessons of Iniki. Hurricanes cause widespread and extensive damage from high winds, dangerous surf, and flooding. Iniki was a small but intense hurricane (minimal category Four) which made landfall on Kauai where it killed six people and caused $2.5 billion in damage.