Hurricane Hiki was the third-wettest

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

on record in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, behind

Hurricane Lane The name Lane has been used for eight tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. *Tropical Storm Lane (1978) *Tropical Storm Lane (1982) *Hurricane Lane (1988) *Hurricane Lane (1994) *Hurricane Lane (2000) *Hurricane Lane (2006) – a strong C ...

in 2018, and

Hurricane Harvey Hurricane Harvey was a devastating Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths. It is tied with 2005's Hurricane Katrina as the costliest t ...

in 2017. It was also considered the first official hurricane in the vicinity of the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

. The fourth

of the

1950 Pacific hurricane season The 1950 Pacific hurricane season was notable for one of the storms being the third-wettest tropical cyclone in United States history. Seven known tropical cyclones occurred during the season, the earliest of which formed on June 14 and the latest ...

, Hiki formed as a tropical depression to the southeast of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

on August 12. On the following day, the depression headed northwestward and intensified into Tropical Storm Hiki. While paralleling the Hawaiian Islands on August 16, Hiki strengthened into a hurricane. Around that time, the storm peaked with

maximum sustained wind The maximum sustained wind associated with a tropical cyclone is a common indicator of the intensity of the storm. Within a mature tropical cyclone, it is found within the eyewall at a distance defined as the radius of maximum wind, or RMW. Unl ...

s of 85 mph (140 km/h). The following day, Hiki curved southwestward on August 17. Two days later, the hurricane resumed moving northwestward and weakened to a tropical storm shortly thereafter. Around midday on August 21, Hiki weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated about six hours later. Although Hiki was a small tropical cyclone and bypassed Hawaii, heavy rainfall and strong winds were observed throughout the islands. At the Kanalohuluhulu Ranger Station on

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

, of precipitation was observed, which was the highest total associated with a tropical cyclone on record in the United States, until surpassed by

in 2017 which dumped a maximum of in Texas. The Waimea River overflowed, causing more than 200 residents to flee their homes. Many streets and several hundred acres of sugar cane fields were flooded. About $200,000 (1950

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

) in damage was reported due to flooding in the city of Waimea. In

Kekaha Kekaha (literally, "the place" in Hawaiian) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 3,715 at the 2020 census, up from 3,175 at the 2000 census. History For most of the 20th century, the Ke ...

, the powerhouse suffered severe damage. Throughout the islands, winds de-roofed several homes and downed power lines; one fatality occurred after a person came in contact with a live wire.

Meteorological history

According to ship reports during the summer, the

Intertropical Convergence Zone The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the thermal e ...

was farther north than usual, which created favorable conditions for

tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropical cyclogenesis occurs are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occurs. Tropi ...

. According to weather charts at the

Honolulu International Airport Daniel K. Inouye International Airport , also known as Honolulu International Airport, is the main airport of Oahu, Hawaii.UTC on August 12, while located about southeast of the Big Island. Thereafter, the storm gradually intensified, becoming a tropical storm at 06:00 UTC on August 13. It was named ''Hiki'', which is Hawaiian for ''Able''. While situated east of

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...

, the system was described as an "immature storm", and had a very small diameter. Shortly thereafter, a

reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...

flew into Hiki and estimated that sustained wind speeds between 50 and 60 mph (80 and 100 km/h). Further intensification continued and the system strengthened into a hurricane on August 16. Upon reaching hurricane intensity on August 16, Hiki simultaneously attained its maximum sustained wind speed of 85 mph (140 km/h). Despite this, the storm had remained small, with gale force winds extending less than from the center. Hiki remained between 100 and 200 mi (160 and 320 km) offshore while paralleling several Hawaiian Islands, including Hawaii,

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

Molokai Molokai , or Molokai (), is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its greatest length an ...

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

, and

. As a

high pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

intensified, the northwestward movement of Hiki was blocked, causing the storm to briefly turn due west on August 17. The high pressure ridge eventually influenced the hurricane to re-curve southwestward. On August 18, a reconnaissance aircraft observed sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) to the south of the center; a minimum

barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...

of was also observed. After the reconnaissance aircraft flight into the storm on August 18, residents of Kauai and Oahu were alerted of a possible cyclonic loop. However, later that day, the high pressure ridge weakened, causing Hiki to turned westward and pass south of

French Frigate Shoals The French Frigate Shoals ( Hawaiian: Kānemilohai) is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the ...

and

Midway Island Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...

. Late on August 19, Hiki weakened to a tropical storm and then resumed its course to the northwest. By August 21, Hiki further weakened to a tropical depression, and dissipated six hours later. The hurricane was also followed by the Air Weather Service, located on Guam, who assigned the name ''Salome'' from the Pacific typhoon naming lists.

Preparations and impact

Hiki was one of the strongest tropical cyclones to approach the Hawaiian Islands in at least 45 years and officially the first hurricane in the region. As Hiki approached, a

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

station with 14 people in

was alerted. In addition, ships in the area were also advised to take caution. Hiki caused high waves on some of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii remained on the southern semicircle of Hiki, and as a result, light wind damage occurred. The highest reported winds from Hiki was at the

Kilauea Light The Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse, also known as Kīlauea Light, is a lighthouse located on Kīlauea Point on the island of Kauai, Hawaii in the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. History Kīlauea Point, a narrow, lava penins ...

house on

, where gusts up to were observed. The islands of

Niihau Niihau ( Hawaiian: ), anglicized as Niihau ( ), is the westernmost main and seventh largest inhabited island in Hawaii. It is southwest of Kauaʻi across the Kaulakahi Channel. Its area is . Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland hab ...

and

Lanai Lanai ( haw, Lānai, , , also ,) is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the smallest publicly accessible inhabited island in the chain. It is colloquially known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple pl ...

also experienced tropical storm force winds, reaching 48 and 50 mph (77 and 80 km/h), respectively. As a result, several houses throughout the Hawaiian Islands lost their roof. In addition, a farmer in Kohala on Hawaii died after coming into contact with a live wire that was blown down from high winds. Hiki was the wettest tropical cyclone in United States history, as rainfall of over observed at the Kanalohuluhulu Ranger Station on Kauai between August 14 and August 18. The rain gauge was capable of holding of the rain and was emptied on August 15. However, less than 24 hours later, the same rain gauge was overflowing. Heavy precipitation was also recorded on other locations on that island, including on

Mount Waialeale Mount Waialeale is a shield volcano and the second highest point on the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Its name literally means "rippling water" or "overflowing water" The mountain, at an elevation of , averages more than of rain a ...

. Few reports exist on rainfall totals on other Hawaiian Islands, with the only other island recording rainfall was

, with precipitation reaching on August 15. This was the highest 24‑hour record for that island in the month of August. On Kauai, the Waimea River experienced one of the worst flood in its history, causing more than 200 residents in

Waimea Valley Waimea Valley is an area of historic cultural significance on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The valley, being an important place in Hawaiian religion, includes several historical structures including stone terraces and walls constructed duri ...

to evacuate. The river also rose near the mouth of its tributary, the Makaweli River, flooding the town of Waimea, causing about $200,000 in damage. The streets on the island and hundreds of acres of

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...

were flooded. Additionally, severe damage was reported at the

Powerhouse.

References

External links

Tropical Cyclones During the Years 1900 – 1952
{{1950 Pacific hurricane season buttons 1950 Pacific hurricane season Hurricanes in Hawaii 1950 in Hawaii Category 1 Pacific hurricanes 1950 natural disasters in the United States

Meteorological history

Preparations and impact

See also

References

External links