Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
At least 3 killed amid historic flash flooding in New Mexico town. Click for the latest Chevron right
‘We will not leave’: 180 still missing in Texas flood zone as death toll hits 111. Read more Chevron right

Columbus, OH

75°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

75°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

25 years later: Hurricane Iniki still one of Hawaii's most devastating storms

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Sep 7, 2017 1:20 PM EDT | Updated Jul 1, 2019 5:19 PM EDT

Copied
iniki ap 2

This is an aerial view of a beachfront resort on Poipu Beach on the island of Kauai Saturday Sept. 13, 1992 after suffering damage brought on by Hurricane Iniki. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

AP

Twenty five years ago, Hurricane Iniki tore through the eastern Pacific Ocean, slamming Hawaii and causing monumental damage.

The storm went down as the state's costliest hurricane on record.

On Sept. 11, 1992, Iniki made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on the island of Kauai. Winds topped 145 mph during landfall.

The storm was aptly named, as Iniki means strong and piercing wind in Hawaiian.

At the time, the storm was one of the costliest hurricanes to strike American soil, causing an estimated $1.8 billion in damage.

Nearly 1,500 homes were destroyed and another 5,000 sustained major damage on Kauai. A total of 14,350 homes were affected, according to the Red Cross.

The National Weather Service said wind was the largest factor, but a number of buildings along the coast suffered nearly total destruction due to surf damage.

Six people were killed.

iniki hawaii ap

A Poipu Beach resort on the Hawaiian island of Kauai is heavily damaged following high winds and rain from Hurricane Iniki, Sept. 12, 1992. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

AP

Fifty percent of Kauai's power lines were destroyed, creating havoc on the island. Even four weeks after landfall, 20 percent of the island was still without power.

The hurricane famously interrupted production of the original Jurassic Park movie. Steven Spielberg, the film's director, was forced to alter the movie's production schedule and he eventually included footage from the storm in the movie.

While Oahu was not hit as hard, several structures sustained significant damage, according to the NWS.

The hurricane formed during an El Niño year, when waters were warmer than normal in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

RELATED:

Evacuation checklist: How to get your family out safely in the face of an imminent disaster
Harvey vs. Katrina: How do these monster storms compare?
Why you should evacuate ahead of a hurricane

Ahead of landfall, sirens were activated across Kauai, leading residents to rush into action. According to a U.S. Department of Commerce storm report, managers and other emergency personnel ensured people took the warnings seriously and made it to designated shelters.

Apartment managers also took on responsibility of spreading the word.

"One manager worked so long in getting his people out that, when the storm hit, it was too late for him to evacuate. He rode it out in his interior bathroom watching the roof and walls of his home blow away," the report states.

Report a Typo

Weather News

video

House swept away by raging floodwaters in New Mexico

Jul. 8, 2025
Weather News

‘We will not leave’: 180 missing in Texas floods, death toll hits 111

Jul. 9, 2025
Weather News

US Coast Guard rescue swimmer hailed as a hero after saving 165 kids f...

Jul. 8, 2025
Weather News

The faces of the Texas flooding tragedy

Jul. 7, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

Deadly flash flooding devastates wildfire-scarred New Mexico town

1 hour ago

Weather News

Camp Mystic, site of deadly Texas flooding, is in 'Flash Flood Alley'

14 hours ago

Weather News

‘Oh my God, we’re floating’: What people faced in amid Texas floods

1 day ago

Weather Forecasts

Flash flood threat to continue in central Texas into midweek

35 minutes ago

Severe Weather

Flooding downpours, severe thunderstorms to mitigate heat in East

16 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Travel

FAA investigating part of a Delta Air Lines wing fell onto a driveway

5 days ago

Health

Three hospitalized, 21 injured after bee attack in France

1 day ago

Weather News

France leads Europe in saying au revoir to beach and park smoking

5 days ago

Weather News

125,000-year-old ‘fat factory’ run by Neanderthals discovered

1 day ago

Weather News

An ambitious vision of a city built from lava

1 day ago

AccuWeather Weather News 25 years later: Hurricane Iniki still one of Hawaii's most devastating storms
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...