Hurricane Iniki

Hurricane Iniki, which means "strong and piercing wind" in Hawaiian, was the most powerful hurricane to strike the U.S. state of Hawaii in recorded history. Iniki struck the island of Kauai on September 11, 1992, at peak intensity. It had winds of 145 mph (235 km/h), and was a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Iniki caused around $1.8 billion (1992 USD) of damage and six deaths. At the time, Iniki was among the costliest United States hurricanes, and it remains one of the costliest hurricanes on record in the eastern Pacific. The storm struck just weeks after Hurricane Andrew-the costliest tropical cyclone ever at the time-struck the U.S. state of Florida. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) failed to issue tropical cyclone warnings and watches for the hurricane more than 24 hours in advance. Despite the lack of early warning, only six deaths were attributable to the storm. Damage was greatest on Kauai, where the hurricane destroyed over 1,400 houses and severely damaged over 5,000. Though not directly in the path of the hurricane's core, Oahu still experienced moderate damage from wind and storm surge. The Honolulu Advertiser issued this limited publication with pictures during and after this terrible storm.