Hurricanes are rarer in Hawaii because of where the islands are located in the Pacific Ocean. Due to a high pressure feature northeast of the state, storms as large as hurricanes are usually deflected or weakened by the time they reach the region.

"Sea surface temperature tends to run too cool to the east of the Islands," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. "So, any hurricanes approaching from the east tend to weaken and fall apart before reaching the islands."

"Hurricanes approaching from the south are more likely to hit the islands, but this does not happen very often due to the strong trade wind flow from the east. This tends to keep hurricanes tracking south of the islands on a westerly course taking them too far west to impact the main islands."

But that doesn’t mean the state has never seen destructive hurricanes before. Here are a few of the most notable exceptions.

Hurricane Iniki

Considered the most catastrophic hurricane in Hawaii history, Iniki originated in 1992, which was also an El Niño year. Slamming into Hawaii in September as a Category 4 major hurricane, claiming the lives of six Hawaii residents.

"Hurricane Iniki caused nearly $3 billion in damage in Hawaii back in September 1992, which would be about $5 billion in today’s dollars. Lane could potentially cause in excess of $10 billion in damage due to its forecasted impacts as well as the increase in population, property, property value and infrastructure on the Hawaiian Islands since then. The damage from Lane will be due mainly to flooding, high tides and beach erosion rather than wind," AccuWeather President and Founder Dr. Joel N. Myers said.

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Iniki is considered the most powerful hurricane ever to hit Hawaii. Winds were recorded at 145 mph and destroyed 1,421 houses. The hurricane struck while Steven Spielberg and the cast of “Jurassic Park” were on the island of Kauai filming. Footage of the storm and its destruction is included in the production.

In comparison with Lane, Kottlowski said that there are several difference between the two.

"Lane’s track is different than Iniki and Lane. Lane tracked slower than Iniki," Kottlowski said. "So, Lane will end up producing a greater amount of rainfall over the Islands."

Hurricane Iwa

Prior to Iniki, Iwa was the most damaging hurricane to hit Hawaii. Iwa was the very last hurricane of the 1982 season, forming in November and costing the state $312 million of damage.

One Hawaii resident lost their life due to the high seas caused by the storm while 2,345 buildings and 1,927 houses were destroyed. Mainly striking the islands of Kauai, Niihau and O’ahu, all three islands were declared disaster areas by President Ronald Reagan. The entire island of Kauai was left without power, and 44 of the 45 boats at Port Allen were sunk.

Hurricane Dot

Arriving in August 1959, Dot made landfall on Kauai with winds as strong as 103 mph. Kauai saw widespread flooding due to the torrential rain and rough surf along the coasts.

At its peak, Dot was a Category 4 storm but weakened to a Category 1 by landfall. There were two indirect deaths occurring in Lanai, and the damage totaled $6 million. Dot was believed to have originated in the waters by Baja California but was never officially recognized and named until it was near peak intensity.

Hurricane Nina

A Category 1 hurricane from November of 1957, Nina didn’t directly strike the state but came close enough to bring 92-mph winds recorded in Kauai. Nina caused $100,000 in damages and destroyed 12 homes. Four people were killed throughout the islands, and it also produced the highest wind gusts ever recorded in Honolulu. Like Iwa, Nina was the final hurricane of the 1957 season.

Hurricane Hiki

Considered the first official hurricane to come near the Hawaiian Islands region, Hiki formed in August 1950 and strengthened to wind gusts of 85 mph.

Until Harvey in 2017, Hiki was the wettest tropical cyclone in the history of the United States, dropping over 50 inches of rain. There was one fatality associated with the storm, as a farmer in Kohala passed away after coming in contact with a live wire.

Lane can challenge Hiki for the most rain from a tropical cyclone in Hawaii's recorded history.

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