Hawaii is experiencing a rare and intense hurricane season. Hurricane Nolo, the third tropical cyclone to approach the islands in recent weeks, continued to rotate westward on Sundays on the southern side of the sea, with a diminished threat, but the risk of storm surges and flash floods remains. In an interview with the media, the Mayor of Hillo, Kimmo Alameda, stated that Hawaiians had experienced "storm fatigue", even with "some kind of post-traumatic stress."
Since this year, at least 19 named storms have been generated in the Eastern and Central Pacific, with three hurricanes, Lala, Lowell and Noro approaching the Hawaiian Islands. It is worth noting that none of the three hurricanes landed in Hawaii, with varying degrees of impact. In only one month, Governor Josh Green issued three disaster statements on damage caused by multiple storms.
Noro was once enhanced to a level III hurricane, which was then further upgraded to a level IV hurricane, which passed at close range south of the main island of Hawaii. The United States National Meteorological Service and the Hawaiian Emergency Management Service have issued early warning warnings for hurricane observation and for floods on several islands. Despite the fact that Noro has gradually moved away from the islands on Sunday, the remaining threats of strong winds, heavy rains and flash floods continue unabated.
In particular, the great island of Hawaii is one of the most affected islands of Noro. Grand Island Mayor Alameda said that there was a certain amount of damage to parts of the island, "we have largely escaped a serious blow, but the situation could have been worse." In response to Noro, more than 120 National Guard officers were activated on Oshima, while some 400 were deployed across the state.
On the Maui side, the strong wind brought by Noro led to power outages in some 12370 households in West Maui and Upcounty, while the Hawaiian Electricity Company closely monitored the risk of mountain fires. With the accelerated westward movement of Noro, the tropical storm observation warning for Maui was cancelled, but the wind and wave warning remained valid.
The situation is even more serious on the island. Floods resulted in the closure of road 11 in parts of Kaeu, the closure of the solid waste facility in Kaeu and the suspension of the 90-Hele-On bus link between Kaeu and Kona. High-wind warning and flood warning in several areas remain in effect after Noro ' s absence.
The island faces another test. The east and south coasts of the island continue to be affected by waves of early warning, valid until Monday morning. Owing to weather uncertainty, flights to Fiji and Tuvalu on the Hokulea and Hiquiania dhows were delayed. In addition, Kauai Island had previously been severely affected by Hurricane Lowell, which had killed two people, destroyed 18 houses, severely damaged 67 houses and cut electricity throughout most of the island.
As a private island, Niehau has an area of approximately 70 square miles, and the 2020 census shows a resident population of only 84. The island was closer to the storm centre than the main island when Hurricane Lowell struck. Elton Usio, head of the Kauay County Emergency Management Agency, stated that the Agency maintained regular contact with the island owner, the Robinson family, and on the night of 7 September, an outdoor alarm was sounded on Niehau Island, warning residents to stay indoors until strong hurricane-grade winds of 74 miles per hour continued. Ultimately, no one was injured on Niehau Island, and all personnel confirmed their safety, with some 30 people on the island.
Of additional concern to emergency management is the recent emergence of new signs of activity on the volcano. Officials are concerned that, if volcanic ash or volcanic bombs erupt, strong winds may blow volcanic debris towards surrounding communities. Volcanic debris is reported to have spread to an altitude of about 1,000 feet and spread to adjacent areas with the wind. This overlap of risks has complicated the emergency situation in Hawaii.
The emergency statement issued by Governor Green provides the legal basis for a state-wide emergency response, and the National Guard has been involved in rescue and material distribution on several islands. Officials reported that several rescue operations were conducted during Noro, but no death or significant property damage were reported.
However, the real challenge lies in the psychological resilience of the population. The Mayor of Alameda noted that many of the inhabitants of the southern region had just experienced catastrophic floods caused by Hurricane Lara last month and were now facing a new wave of threats. "Now everyone's very anxious about the weather," he said. This state of continuous disaster makes emergency response difficult not only at the physical but also at the psychosocial level.
Noro has gradually moved away from the Hawaiian islands, but the residual effects have yet to recede completely. Residents need to continue to follow flood warning and flood risk alerts issued by local emergency management authorities, especially in areas that have experienced previous disasters. The sea conditions on Kauai Island are expected to remain unsatisfactory until Monday, and official announcements should be heeded for travel and navigational activities.
From a more macro point of view, the current season has been characterized by an exceptionally high rate of hurricane activity in the Pacific, and the sustained response of Hawaii to multiple storms in the short term has been enormous. It would be a matter of concern to follow up on the repeated use of disaster declarations by state governments to gain further support at the federal level and on the increased role of traditional Hawaiian disaster resistance practices in modern emergency response systems.