Dear Tom,
When was the last time a hurricane hit Hawaii?
Jeanne Devine, Roselle
Dear Jeanne,
While the hurricane threat in Hawaii is not as great as it is in the Caribbean or along the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts, it is still a problem that the islanders must deal with. During the past 50 years, many storms have skirted the islands, bringing high winds, flooding rains and pounding surf ut only two storms have made a direct hit, both of them on the island of Kauai. In August 1959, Hurricane Dot caused about $6 million worth of damage, but the devastation from Hurricane Iniki in September 1992, the most destructive storm to ever hit the islands, exceeded $2 billion. Just last year in early September, Hurricane Jimena passed within 120 miles of the Big Island’s South Point, bringing 50 m.p.h. winds and considerable flooding.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
