Hurricane Iwa

Hurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name for the frigatebird (ʻiwa, lit. "Thief"), was at the time the costliest hurricane to affect the state of Hawaii. Iwa was the twenty-third tropical storm and the twelfth and final hurricane of the 1982 Pacific hurricane season. It developed from an active trough of low pressure near the equator on November 19. The storm moved erratically northward until becoming a hurricane on November 23, when it began accelerating to the northeast in response to strong upper-level flow from the north. Iwa passed within 25 miles of the island of Kauaʻi with peak winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) on November 23 (November 24 Coordinated Universal Time), and the next day it became extratropical to the northeast of the state. The hurricane devastated the islands of Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu with wind gusts exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h) and rough seas exceeding 30 feet (9.1 m) in height. Maui and Molokaʻi also experienced strong winds and heavy rainfall, although less severe compared to Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. Iwa severely damaged or destroyed 2,345 buildings, including 1,927 houses, leaving 500 people homeless. Damage throughout the state totaled $312 million (1982 USD, 1.04 billion 2025 USD). One person was killed from the high seas, and three deaths were indirectly related to the hurricane's aftermath.