Hurricane Felicia (2009)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Felicia was the third strongest tropical cyclone
of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season
, as well as the strongest storm to exist in the eastern Pacific at the time since Hurricane Daniel
in 2006
. Forming as a tropical depression on August 3, the storm supported strong thunderstorm activity and quickly organized. It became a tropical storm over the following day, and subsequently underwent rapid deepening
to attain hurricane status. Later that afternoon, Felicia featured a well-defined eye
as its winds sharply rose to major hurricane-force on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Further strengthening ensued, and Felicia peaked in intensity as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 935 mbar (hPa; 27.61 inHg). After reaching this strength, unfavorable conditions, such as wind shear
, began to impact the storm while it took on a northwestward path. Henceforth, Felicia slowly weakened for several days; by August 8 it had been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, once again becoming a tropical storm the next day. It retraced westward towards Hawaii on August 10, all the while decreasing in organization. On August 11, Felicia weakened to tropical depression status, and soon degenerated into remnant low just prior to passing over the islands.
After weakening into a remnant low, Felicia continued to approach the Hawaiian Islands and on August 12, the system produced copious amounts of rainfall across several islands. The highest total was recorded on Oahu
at 14.63 in (371.6 mm), causing isolated mudslides and flooding. In Maui
, the heavy rains helped to alleviate drought conditions and water shortages, significantly increasing the total water across the island's reservoirs. In addition, river flooding resulted in the closure of one school and large swells produced by the storm resulted in several lifeguard rescues at island beaches. In all, only minor impacts were caused by the remnants of Felicia.
Hurricane Felicia originated from a tropical wave
that moved off the west coast of Africa
into the Atlantic Ocean
on July 23, 2009. A weak system, the wave was barely identifiable as it tracked westward. By July 26, the wave entered the Caribbean Sea
before crossing Central America
and entering the eastern Pacific basin on July 29. The system remained ill-defined until August 1, at which time convection
began to increase and the wave showed signs of organization. The storm gradually became better organized as it tracked generally towards the west. By August 3, the system became increasingly organized and around 11:00 am PDT (1800 UTC
), the National Hurricane Center
(NHC) designated the system as Tropical Depression Eight-E. Convective banding features
and poleward outflow
were being enhanced by the nearby Tropical Storm Enrique. The main steering component of the depression was an upper-level low
located to the north, causing the depression to track generally west before turning northwest after the low weakened.
By the early morning hours of August 4, the NHC upgraded Tropical Depression Eight-E to Tropical Storm Felicia, the seventh named storm of the season. Located within an area of low wind shear
and high sea surface temperature
s, averaging between 28 and 29°C (82 and 84°F), the storm quickly developed, with deep convection persisting around the center of circulation
. These conditions were anticipated to persist for at least three days; however, there was an increased amount of uncertainty due to possible interaction with Tropical Storm Enrique. Several hours later, the storm began to undergo rapid intensification
, following the formation of an eye
. Around 2:00 pm PDT (2100 UTC), Felicia intensified into a hurricane.
Late on August 4, the intensity of Felicia led to it taking a more northward turn in response to a mid- to upper-level trough
off the coast of the Western United States
. Early the next morning, the storm continued to intensify and attained Category 3 status with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Maintaining a well-defined eye, Felicia neared Category 4 status and hours later, the storm attained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a pressure of 937 mbar (hPa; 27.67 inHg) during the evening hours, making it the strongest Pacific storm east of the International Date Line
since Hurricane Ioke
in 2006 and the strongest in the eastern Pacific basin
since Hurricane Daniel
of 2006. Around 5:00 pm PDT (0000 UTC August 6) Felicia reached its peak intensity with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 935 mbar (hPa; 27.61 inHg).
After slightly weakening throughout the day on August 6, Felicia leveled out with winds of 135 mph (215 km/h) and a 23 mi (37 km) wide eye as the storm developed characteristics of an annular hurricane
, which would allow Felicia to maintain a high intensity over marginally warm waters. Early the next day, the structure of the hurricane quickly deteriorated as convection became asymmetric and cloud tops warmed significantly. This marked a quick drop in intensity of the storm to a minimal Category 3 hurricane. Several hours later, the mid-level circulation began to separate from the low-level circulation and the overall size of the storm decreased. By this time, the storm began to take a long-anticipated westward turn towards Hawaii. After briefly re-intensifying on August 7, Felicia weakened to a Category 1 hurricane early on August 8. Around 11:00 am HST (2100 UTC), the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
(CPHC) took over responsibility of issuing advisories as Felicia crossed longitude
140°W.
By August 9, increasing wind shear
further weakened the storm, with Felicia being downgraded to a tropical storm early that day. The storm rapidly weakened throughout the day as convection gradually dissipated around the center due to the shear. By the late morning hours, little convective activity remained around the low pressure center of Felicia. A weak cyclone, the storm continued to track towards Hawaii with the only deep convection associated with it being displaced to the northeast of the center. The system slowly weakened before being downgraded to a tropical depression on August 11 as no areas of tropical storm-force winds were found by Hurricane Hunters. Several hours after being downgraded, the CPHC issued its final advisory on Felicia as it degenerated into a remnant low near the Hawaiian Islands. The system dissipated shortly thereafter.
. Residents were advised to ensure that their disaster kits were fully stocked and ready. Governor Linda Lingle
made a speech to the state of Hawaii the same day. She emphasized that the storm was not an imminent threat but that residents should be ready and should know where the nearest emergency shelter is. Since forecasters expected the storm to weaken before it reached the islands, only minor effects—mainly rainfall—were expected. Hawaii County
mayor Billy Kenoi was also briefed on the approaching storm and he advised the county to be prepared. Stores reported an influx of shoppers and posted anniversary sales. Blue tarps for roofs were being sold at $1 apiece. The American Red Cross
also reported that sales of the "water bob", a water container that can be attached to a bathtub and hold roughly 100 gallons of water, increased significantly. On August 6, the Red Cross stated that it was deploying a disaster recovery team, led by the director of the agency, to the islands of Hawaii.
On August 7, five Hurricane Hunter planes were dispatched to Hickam Air Force Base
to fly missions into the storm. Later that day, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
issued tropical storm watches
for the island of Hawaii
, Maui
, Kahoolawe
, Lanai
, and Molokai
. On August 9, the watch was expanded to include Oahu
. The watches for the Big Island were later cancelled as the forecast track appeared to drift further north toward Maui County and Oahu. The Red Cross opened shelters throughout the islands on August 10. Twelve were on the Big Island, seven were on Maui, two on Molokai and one on Lanai. The Honolulu International Airport
ensured that eight generators were ready for use in case Felicia caused a power outage at the airport. All tropical storm watches were cancelled at 11 a.m. August 11 as Felicia dissipated to a remnant low.
was shut down around 11:00 pm HST when the Waikane Stream overflowed its banks. Flooding near a bridge reached a depth of 4 ft (1.2 m), stranding some residents in their homes. The highway remained closed until around 4:00 am HST on August 14. The rain was also considered helpful in that it helped alleviate drought conditions that had been present for nearly two months. The heaviest rainfall was recorded on Oahu at 14.63 in (371.6 mm) in the Forest National Wildlife Refuge. During a 12-hour span, a total of 6.34 in (161 mm) fell in Waiahole. Some areas recorded rainfall rates up to 1 in/h (25 mm/h), triggering isolated mudslides. At Sandy Beach
, there were two lifeguard rescues and three others were on Makapuʻu as waves up to 18 ft (5.5 m) affected the islands. There were also five assists at Makapuʻu and one at Kailua Beach. Lifeguards issued a total of 1,410 verbal warnings about the rough seas to swimmers and surfers during the event. However, winds on the island reached only 15 mph (25 km/h) and gusts peaked at 20 mph (30 km/h).
rose above its normal level, leading to the closure of the Hanalei School. Several tree limbs and small trees were blown down across the island. Rainfall on Kauai peaked at 5.33 in (135.4 mm) at Mount Wai'ale'ale and on Maui, up to 4.05 in (102.9 mm) fell in Kaupo Gap. On the leeward side of the mountains, rainfall peaked at 1.3 in (33 mm) in Kihei, an area that rarely records rainfall in August. Throughout the island, the total amount of water in reservoirs increased to 104.5 million gallons (395.5 million liters) from 77.8 million gallons (294.5 million liters) prior to Felicia. Rainfall in some areas was heavy enough at times to reduce visibility to several feet. Streets in these areas were covered with muddy water. Localized heavy rainfall fell on the Big Island, peaking at 2.76 in (70.1 mm) in Kealakekua. In Wailua Beach
, there was one lifeguard rescue that resulted in the swimmer being sent to a local hospital. Three other people were swept away at the mouth of the Wailua River
, all of whom were quickly rescued. In Honolulu, runoff from the storm resulted in large amounts of trash and debris along the local beaches. Private contractors were dispatched to the affected coastlines to trap and remove the trash. Officials were forced to close the beaches along Hanauma Bay
after swells from Felicia pushed an estimated 2,000 Portuguese Man o' War
siphonophorae into the region. The beaches were later re-opened on August 14.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season
2009 Pacific hurricane season
The 2009 Pacific hurricane season was an active event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation, due to a moderate El Niño, unlike the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, which was relatively quiet. The season officially started on May 15 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1 for the central...
, as well as the strongest storm to exist in the eastern Pacific at the time since Hurricane Daniel
Hurricane Daniel (2006)
Hurricane Daniel was the second strongest hurricane of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season. The fourth named storm of the season, Daniel originated on July 16 from a tropical wave off the coast of Mexico. It tracked westward, intensifying steadily to reach peak winds of 150 mph on...
in 2006
2006 Pacific hurricane season
The 2006 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific hurricane season since 2000 producing 19 tropical storms or hurricanes. Eighteen developed within the National Hurricane Center area of warning responsibility, which is east of 140ºW, and one storm formed between 140ºW and the...
. Forming as a tropical depression on August 3, the storm supported strong thunderstorm activity and quickly organized. It became a tropical storm over the following day, and subsequently underwent rapid deepening
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
to attain hurricane status. Later that afternoon, Felicia featured a well-defined eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
as its winds sharply rose to major hurricane-force on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Further strengthening ensued, and Felicia peaked in intensity as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 935 mbar (hPa; 27.61 inHg). After reaching this strength, unfavorable conditions, such as wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, began to impact the storm while it took on a northwestward path. Henceforth, Felicia slowly weakened for several days; by August 8 it had been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, once again becoming a tropical storm the next day. It retraced westward towards Hawaii on August 10, all the while decreasing in organization. On August 11, Felicia weakened to tropical depression status, and soon degenerated into remnant low just prior to passing over the islands.
After weakening into a remnant low, Felicia continued to approach the Hawaiian Islands and on August 12, the system produced copious amounts of rainfall across several islands. The highest total was recorded on Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
at 14.63 in (371.6 mm), causing isolated mudslides and flooding. In Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, the heavy rains helped to alleviate drought conditions and water shortages, significantly increasing the total water across the island's reservoirs. In addition, river flooding resulted in the closure of one school and large swells produced by the storm resulted in several lifeguard rescues at island beaches. In all, only minor impacts were caused by the remnants of Felicia.
Meteorological history
Tropical wave
Tropical waves, easterly waves, or tropical easterly waves, also known as African easterly waves in the Atlantic region, are a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which move from east to west across the tropics causing areas of...
that moved off the west coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
on July 23, 2009. A weak system, the wave was barely identifiable as it tracked westward. By July 26, the wave entered the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
before crossing Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and entering the eastern Pacific basin on July 29. The system remained ill-defined until August 1, at which time convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
began to increase and the wave showed signs of organization. The storm gradually became better organized as it tracked generally towards the west. By August 3, the system became increasingly organized and around 11:00 am PDT (1800 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
), the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
(NHC) designated the system as Tropical Depression Eight-E. Convective banding features
Rainband
A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar imagery, this precipitation elongation is referred to as...
and poleward outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
were being enhanced by the nearby Tropical Storm Enrique. The main steering component of the depression was an upper-level low
Cold-core low
A cold-core low, also known as a cold low or cold-core cyclone, is a cyclone aloft which has an associated cold pool of air residing at high altitude within the Earth's troposphere. It is a low pressure system which strengthens with height in accordance with the thermal wind relationship. These...
located to the north, causing the depression to track generally west before turning northwest after the low weakened.
By the early morning hours of August 4, the NHC upgraded Tropical Depression Eight-E to Tropical Storm Felicia, the seventh named storm of the season. Located within an area of low wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
and high sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
s, averaging between 28 and 29°C (82 and 84°F), the storm quickly developed, with deep convection persisting around the center of circulation
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
. These conditions were anticipated to persist for at least three days; however, there was an increased amount of uncertainty due to possible interaction with Tropical Storm Enrique. Several hours later, the storm began to undergo rapid intensification
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
, following the formation of an eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
. Around 2:00 pm PDT (2100 UTC), Felicia intensified into a hurricane.
Late on August 4, the intensity of Felicia led to it taking a more northward turn in response to a mid- to upper-level trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
off the coast of the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. Early the next morning, the storm continued to intensify and attained Category 3 status with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Maintaining a well-defined eye, Felicia neared Category 4 status and hours later, the storm attained winds of 140 mph (220 km/h) and a pressure of 937 mbar (hPa; 27.67 inHg) during the evening hours, making it the strongest Pacific storm east of the International Date Line
International Date Line
The International Date Line is a generally north-south imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, passing through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that designates the place where each calendar day begins...
since Hurricane Ioke
Hurricane Ioke
Hurricane Ioke was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Central Pacific...
in 2006 and the strongest in the eastern Pacific basin
Pacific hurricane
A Pacific hurricane or tropical storm is a tropical cyclone that develops in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern, , central , and western...
since Hurricane Daniel
Hurricane Daniel (2006)
Hurricane Daniel was the second strongest hurricane of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season. The fourth named storm of the season, Daniel originated on July 16 from a tropical wave off the coast of Mexico. It tracked westward, intensifying steadily to reach peak winds of 150 mph on...
of 2006. Around 5:00 pm PDT (0000 UTC August 6) Felicia reached its peak intensity with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 935 mbar (hPa; 27.61 inHg).
After slightly weakening throughout the day on August 6, Felicia leveled out with winds of 135 mph (215 km/h) and a 23 mi (37 km) wide eye as the storm developed characteristics of an annular hurricane
Annular hurricane
An annular hurricane, also known as a truck tire or doughnut hurricane, is a tropical cyclone in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific Oceans that features a large, symmetric eye surrounded by a thick ring of intense convection. This type of storm is not prone to the fluctuations in intensity associated...
, which would allow Felicia to maintain a high intensity over marginally warm waters. Early the next day, the structure of the hurricane quickly deteriorated as convection became asymmetric and cloud tops warmed significantly. This marked a quick drop in intensity of the storm to a minimal Category 3 hurricane. Several hours later, the mid-level circulation began to separate from the low-level circulation and the overall size of the storm decreased. By this time, the storm began to take a long-anticipated westward turn towards Hawaii. After briefly re-intensifying on August 7, Felicia weakened to a Category 1 hurricane early on August 8. Around 11:00 am HST (2100 UTC), the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States National Weather Service is the official body responsible for tracking and issuing tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for the Central North Pacific Basin...
(CPHC) took over responsibility of issuing advisories as Felicia crossed longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
140°W.
By August 9, increasing wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
further weakened the storm, with Felicia being downgraded to a tropical storm early that day. The storm rapidly weakened throughout the day as convection gradually dissipated around the center due to the shear. By the late morning hours, little convective activity remained around the low pressure center of Felicia. A weak cyclone, the storm continued to track towards Hawaii with the only deep convection associated with it being displaced to the northeast of the center. The system slowly weakened before being downgraded to a tropical depression on August 11 as no areas of tropical storm-force winds were found by Hurricane Hunters. Several hours after being downgraded, the CPHC issued its final advisory on Felicia as it degenerated into a remnant low near the Hawaiian Islands. The system dissipated shortly thereafter.
Preparations
By August 5, forecasters were discussing the possibility of the storm impacting HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Residents were advised to ensure that their disaster kits were fully stocked and ready. Governor Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle was the sixth Governor of Hawaii. Lingle holds a number of distinctions: first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since the departure of William F...
made a speech to the state of Hawaii the same day. She emphasized that the storm was not an imminent threat but that residents should be ready and should know where the nearest emergency shelter is. Since forecasters expected the storm to weaken before it reached the islands, only minor effects—mainly rainfall—were expected. Hawaii County
Hawaii County, Hawaii
Hawaii County is a county located in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coterminous with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from the state as a whole. As of the 2010 Census the population was 185,079. The county seat is Hilo. There are no...
mayor Billy Kenoi was also briefed on the approaching storm and he advised the county to be prepared. Stores reported an influx of shoppers and posted anniversary sales. Blue tarps for roofs were being sold at $1 apiece. The American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
also reported that sales of the "water bob", a water container that can be attached to a bathtub and hold roughly 100 gallons of water, increased significantly. On August 6, the Red Cross stated that it was deploying a disaster recovery team, led by the director of the agency, to the islands of Hawaii.
On August 7, five Hurricane Hunter planes were dispatched to Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
to fly missions into the storm. Later that day, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center
Central Pacific Hurricane Center
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States National Weather Service is the official body responsible for tracking and issuing tropical cyclone warnings, watches, advisories, discussions, and statements for the Central North Pacific Basin...
issued tropical storm watches
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches
Warnings and watches are two levels of alert issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local population and civil authorities to make appropriate...
for the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe is the smallest of the eight main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands. Kahoolawe is located about seven miles southwest of Maui and also southeast of Lanai, and it is long by wide, with a total land area of . The highest point on Kahoolawe is the crater of Lua Makika at the...
, Lanai
Lanai
Lānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....
, and Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
. On August 9, the watch was expanded to include Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. The watches for the Big Island were later cancelled as the forecast track appeared to drift further north toward Maui County and Oahu. The Red Cross opened shelters throughout the islands on August 10. Twelve were on the Big Island, seven were on Maui, two on Molokai and one on Lanai. The Honolulu International Airport
Honolulu International Airport
Honolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States, with traffic now exceeding 21 million passengers a year and rising.It is located in the Honolulu...
ensured that eight generators were ready for use in case Felicia caused a power outage at the airport. All tropical storm watches were cancelled at 11 a.m. August 11 as Felicia dissipated to a remnant low.
Impact
Oahu
In Oahu, areas on the windward side of the island received more than 1 in (25.4 mm) of rain on August 12 from the remnants of Felicia, causing many roads to become slick. A portion of Kamehameha HighwayKamehameha Highway
Kamehameha Highway is one of the main highways serving suburban and rural O‘ahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Starting from Nimitz Highway near Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, it serves the island's older western suburbs, turning north across the O‘ahu Central Valley to the...
was shut down around 11:00 pm HST when the Waikane Stream overflowed its banks. Flooding near a bridge reached a depth of 4 ft (1.2 m), stranding some residents in their homes. The highway remained closed until around 4:00 am HST on August 14. The rain was also considered helpful in that it helped alleviate drought conditions that had been present for nearly two months. The heaviest rainfall was recorded on Oahu at 14.63 in (371.6 mm) in the Forest National Wildlife Refuge. During a 12-hour span, a total of 6.34 in (161 mm) fell in Waiahole. Some areas recorded rainfall rates up to 1 in/h (25 mm/h), triggering isolated mudslides. At Sandy Beach
Sandy Beach
Sandy Beach is a beach on the South Shore of Oahu in Hawaii. It is known for its excellent bodyboarding and bodysurfing opportunities due to shore break that breaks very close to the shore. Consequently, more injuries occur per year at Sandy Beach than any other beach in Hawaii, earning it the...
, there were two lifeguard rescues and three others were on Makapuʻu as waves up to 18 ft (5.5 m) affected the islands. There were also five assists at Makapuʻu and one at Kailua Beach. Lifeguards issued a total of 1,410 verbal warnings about the rough seas to swimmers and surfers during the event. However, winds on the island reached only 15 mph (25 km/h) and gusts peaked at 20 mph (30 km/h).
Other islands
On Kauai, the Hanalei RiverHanalei River
The Hanalei River on the island of Kauai in Hawaii flows north from the eastern slopes Mount Waialeale for until entering the Pacific Ocean at Hanalei Bay as an estuary...
rose above its normal level, leading to the closure of the Hanalei School. Several tree limbs and small trees were blown down across the island. Rainfall on Kauai peaked at 5.33 in (135.4 mm) at Mount Wai'ale'ale and on Maui, up to 4.05 in (102.9 mm) fell in Kaupo Gap. On the leeward side of the mountains, rainfall peaked at 1.3 in (33 mm) in Kihei, an area that rarely records rainfall in August. Throughout the island, the total amount of water in reservoirs increased to 104.5 million gallons (395.5 million liters) from 77.8 million gallons (294.5 million liters) prior to Felicia. Rainfall in some areas was heavy enough at times to reduce visibility to several feet. Streets in these areas were covered with muddy water. Localized heavy rainfall fell on the Big Island, peaking at 2.76 in (70.1 mm) in Kealakekua. In Wailua Beach
Wailua, Hawaii
Wailuā is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 2,083 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, there was one lifeguard rescue that resulted in the swimmer being sent to a local hospital. Three other people were swept away at the mouth of the Wailua River
Wailua River
The Wailuā River is a river on the island of Kauai in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is formed by the confluence of its North and South forks just west of Wailua and enters the Pacific Ocean at . It is the only navigable river in the Hawaiian Islands...
, all of whom were quickly rescued. In Honolulu, runoff from the storm resulted in large amounts of trash and debris along the local beaches. Private contractors were dispatched to the affected coastlines to trap and remove the trash. Officials were forced to close the beaches along Hanauma Bay
Hanauma Bay
Hanauma is a marine embayment formed within a volcanic cone and located along the southeast coast of the Island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands....
after swells from Felicia pushed an estimated 2,000 Portuguese Man o' War
Portuguese Man o' War
The Portuguese Man o' War , also known as the Portuguese man-of-war, man-of-war, or bluebottle, is a jelly-like marine invertebrate of the family Physaliidae...
siphonophorae into the region. The beaches were later re-opened on August 14.
See also
- Timeline of the 2009 Pacific hurricane seasonTimeline of the 2009 Pacific hurricane seasonBelow is the Timeline of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season, documenting all the storm formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, as well as dissipation. The 2009 Pacific hurricane season officially began on May 15, 2009, and will last until November 30. For...
- List of Hawaii hurricanes