Pacific Hurricanes
Pacific hurricanes are one type of tropical cyclone, along with tropical depressions, tropical storms, and typhoons. Tropical cyclones are areas of warm air and low pressure which rotate in a counterclockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere. Hurricanes and typhoons are tropical cyclones in which the wind velocity exceeds 74 mph, and are accompanied by heavy rain, and storm surges.
Hurricanes that approach and occasionally pass over Hawaii are usually generated to the west of the lower Baja peninsula of Mexico. Some, like the huge Hawaii Hurricane, Iniki, begin their lives off the coast of Africa and manage to cross Central America, regaining strength in the Pacific Ocean. They all move in a westward direction, but can make many turns along the way. Iniki is a polynesian word meaning – a sharp and piercing wind. Central North Pacific hurricane names are chosen in order from one list to the next list. Here are the current names:
List 1
Akoni, Ema, Hone, Iona, Keli, Lala, Moke, Nolo, Olana, Pena, Ulana, Wale
List 2
Aka, Ekeka, Hene, Iolana, Keoni, Lino, Mele, Nona, Oliwa, Pama, Upana, Wene
List 3
Alika, Ele, Huko, Iopa, Kika, Lana, Maka, Neki, Omeka, Pewa, Unala, Wali
List 4
Ana, Ela, Halola, Iune, Kilo, Loke, Malia, Niala, Oho, Pali, Ulika, Walaka
Hurricane Scale
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale divides hurricanes into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds. In order to be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph. The highest classification in the scale, Category 5, is reserved for storms with winds exceeding 155 mph. The scale was developed by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Bob Simpson, who at the time was director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Category 1
Sustained winds of 74-95 mph, surge 4-5 ft
Category 2
Sustained winds of 96-110 mph, surge 6-8 ft
Category 3
Sustained winds of 111-130 mph, surge 9-12 ft
Category 4
Sustained winds of 131-155 mph, surge 13-18 ft
Category 5
Sustained winds greater than 155 mph, surge 18 ft+
Storm surge is a phenomenon where a dome of water forms at levels higher than the surrounding ocean, caused by the extremely low pressure and strong winds around the eye of a hurricane. Large swells, high surf, and wind-driven waves ride atop this dome causing extensive damage to the shoreline environment. Exacerbated by the power of breaking waves, storm surge is the most deadly of a hurricane’s associated hazards, and has the potential to destroy everything in its path. The stronger the storm and the shallower the offshore waters, the higher the storm surge, and the greater threat to life and property. A powerful hurricane is usually described in terms of its wind speeds, but coastal flooding causes many more deaths than high wind.
Pacific Hurricane Preparedness
The Pacific Hurricane season runs June through November, with an average hurricane season producing four to five tropical cyclones (which includes tropical depressions, tropical storms, or hurricanes). Since 1959, we have seen 63 hurricanes, 49 tropical storms, and 58 tropical depressions. But this season’s projections from the NOAA Central Pacific Hurricane Center call for a 70 percent chance of a below-normal season.
This year’s lower-than-normal forecast is based on expectations that fewer hurricanes will move into the central Pacific from the eastern Pacific, and cooler waters will form in the equatorial Pacific from La Niña conditions. While the number of expected tropical cyclones is relatively low, it is still our responsibility to be prepared for a severe hit. Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 24-30 this year, and you are urged not to become complacent and to use this time to get ready.
Develop a family plan
- Ask about community evacuation plans.
- Talk to your family about hurricanes and what needs to be done.
- Plan a place to meet your family in case you are separated from one another.
- Consider the needs of relatives and neighbors with special needs.
- Make arrangements for pets.
Create a disaster supply kit
- Prepare to survive on your own for at least three days.
- Gather several days supply of water and food for each family member.
- Check prescription medicines – obtain at least 10 days to 2 weeks supply.
- Keep a small cooler with frozen gel packs handy for packing refrigerated items.
- Stock up on extra batteries for radios, flashlights, and lanterns.
- Stock up on canned provisions.
- Check and replenish first-aid supplies.
- Have on hand an extra supply of cash.
Secure your home
- Make plans to protect your property and make your home more secure.
- Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection, or board up windows with plywood.
- Store and secure outdoor lawn furniture and other loose, lightweight objects.
- Consider flood and hurricane insurance.
- Make a record of your personal property.
Prepare to evacuate
- Fuel your car, review evacuation routes.
- Listen for local radio or television weather forecasts and understand these terms:
- Hurricane Watch – A hurricane is possible within 36 hours.
- Hurricane Warning – A hurricane is expected within 24 hours.
Plant Extinction Prevention Program
The Plant Extinction Prevention Program follows a combination of steps to halt the high extinction rate of Hawaii’s plant ecosystems.
Protect Founders. Locating and protecting the remaining wild plants (founders) is their first priority. Founders contain the genetic diversity that provide a buffer against environmental conditions, giving the species the greatest chances of being restored. The PEP Program identifies and mitigates the threats to founders through fencing (to keep out pigs, sheep, goat, cattle), controlling smaller predators (rats, mice), and removing invasive non-native plants (competition for space, water, sun, nutrients). With the loss of each founder, genetic diversity is lost and the species takes one step closer to extinction, and in 2009, PEP staff protected 45 species (31 Endangered) through these controls.
Monitor Plants. Field Coordinators monitor the health of individuals and their threats. In 2009, the PEP Program monitored populations of 132 critically rare plant species.
Collect Propagules. Island coordinators collect propagules (fruit, seed, cuttings, pollen, leaf buds) from individuals and preserve them at off-site or ex-situ facilities. Ex-situ conservation relies on the concept that preserved genetic material is an essential tool that allows the time to plan and execute restoration programs, and to recover species that might otherwise become extinct. In 2009, the PEP program collected propagules from 89 rare plant species (38 Endangered).
Reintroduce Plants. The PEP Program seeks to increase the numbers by reintroducing nursery-grown plants into native areas to establish new populations. Because of the potential for disease or contamination, all reintroductions follow strict sanitation guidelines. In 2009, PEP reintroduced 10 critically rare species into their natural habitats on Maui, Moloka`i, and Hawai`i Island.
Discovery of New Plants. The discovery of additional founder plants can greatly increase the species’ chances of recovery. Surveys are conducted around already-known populations, and in 2009, they found 9 species on Kaua`i, 2 on O`ahu, 4 on Moloka`i, 19 on Maui, 4 on Lana`i, and 10 on Hawai`i Island.
Hawaii Plant Extinction Prevention
The goal of the Plant Extinction Prevention program is protecting Hawaii’s rarest native plants from extinction. Their focus is on plant species with fewer than 50 plants remaining in the wild, and providing native plant populations with the resources to survive for generations to come. Hawai`i is home to an overwhelming 173 species that have fewer than 50 plants remaining in the wild.
The isolation of the Hawaiian islands make it a biological hotspot with one of the highest rates of plant diversity in the world, and approximately 90% of Hawai`i’s flora being endemic. But, loss of habitat, invasive non-native plants and animals, wildfires, and other threats have all greatly contributed to their disappearance. As a result, Hawai`i continues to lose 10% of its remaining plant species each year.
In 2009, the PEP Program discovered new individuals of 17 species through surveys on all the main Hawaiian Islands. This inspiring discovery of these wild plants is important to the survival of the species, and allows conservation botanists to plan their recovery actions. To protect these precious few plants from extinction PEP partners use fencing (to prevent damage from wild sheep, goats, cows and donkeys), weed control, propagule (seeds and cuttings) collection, and planting in the wild.
Propagules (fruit, cuttings, or seeds) are also taken to preserve the genetic material of the founder plants and are used to reintroduce the species back into their natural habitat, increasing their chances of recovery. To preserve the biodiversity of these islands, PEP will continue to monitor and recover these rare species to ensure their survival in Hawai‘i’s fragile ecosystems.
Dogs Saving Endangered Species
The Rosy wolfsnail is a cannibal snail that was first introduced to Hawaii in 1955 to eradicate the Giant African snail. (But, as with most all ‘introduced’ species, there is a ‘however’.) However, the Rosy wolfsnail traveled to higher elevations in the mountains of Oahu, and began feeding upon the endangered Achatinella, commonly known as the Oahu tree snail (kahuli). It began eating whole populations of the small snail, causing near extinction within the first year. The rosy wolfsnail has a light brown elongated shell and a light grey, or brown body, with long tentacles that almost touch the ground. This species is a voracious predator, hunting and eating other snails and slugs, and ingesting them whole.
The Army Natural Resource Program is conducting a pilot program to stabilize the population of the endangered Oahu tree snail in eight locations across the Waianae Mountains, where each location includes around 300 snails. Enter Wicket, a 6-year-old Black Labrador Retriever mix, trained by Working Dogs for Conservation, that trains scent-detection dogs to track the scents of endangered or invasive plants and animals. Wicket’s job is sniffing through some of Oahu’s most beautiful forests looking for the Euglandina rosea (Rosy wolfsnail).
Working dogs like Wicket use their keen sense of smell to detect endangered animals and plants around the world. Locating these snails can be difficult because the Rosy wolfsnail doesn’t give off a strong smell, and the search is complicated by other factors like rotting material, moisture, mold, and other smells. Once the dogs find their target smell, they are taught to sit and are rewarded, linking the smell with the reward. Wicket’s reward of choice is her ball, and throughout her training she has successfully located 422 Rosy wolfsnails. Researchers were finding fewer and fewer endangered Achatinella, and if it were not for their efforts in this pilot study, as well as the efforts of dogs like Wicket, a whole population of Oahu tree snails will be gone. Photo by Kayla Overton.
