June 1 through November 30 is considered hurricane season in the Hawaiian Islands. And while we may have frequent 'watch' reports, it is rare for a hurricane to actually make land fall here in Hawaii. Being hit by only a handful of hurricanes since the 1950s, Hawaii has a history of narrowly avoiding them.
Photo Courtesy of NASA Goddard Rapid Response Team
"Hurricanes and tropical storms are normally steered clear of the Hawaiian Islands by a high pressure feature that is typically parked to the northeast of the islands and keeps the weather consistent throughout the year. What that high does is it tends to deflect storms away from the islands," says meteorologist Michael Cantin. In layman's terms, we are a tiny target in a gigantic ocean so timing and conditions have to be just right to recieve a direct hit.
That said, it is so important to stay informed and be preparded should we be faced with a hurricane. HNN Hurricane Center provides real time updates and tracking of all weather and storms so be sure to continue to check-in with them. As well, during an emergency or threat of disaster, live broadcast announcements from the NWA (National Weather Announcements) will be made over local tv and radio stations. In the event of required evacuations, shelter location information specific to each island can be found on the following links below:
We realize that while on vacation, this isn't something that one would want to put their focus on. But vigulance is key when it comes to disaster preparedness. Always better to play it safe then sorry!