Frances L. Lewis

       Handling Hurricanes

Hurricane Ana passed by Hawaii this past weekend. It brought back memories. In August, my husband and I were headed home from Hawaii, the same weekend Hurricane Isele barreled toward the island of Oahu. Thursday, the city of Honolulu began closing its offices at noon in preparation for the storm due to hit Friday. I think government officials thought if they closed those offices; it would provide less of a temptation for people to be out. You know how it is with government offices. In good weather, you need a tent, a blanket and be able to take off a day of work to be serviced. Perhaps, government officials strategically thought if their employees had to take care of people with a hurricane coming, the wait could be even longer. The nervous employees might keep looking out the windows and wondering whom they could get to secure their surfboards, lawn chairs and grills before the hurricane made landfall.

For your information, government wait time does not improve once you get to the tropics. The weather does, but government waits do not. If someone told you that, he or she must have an apartment near the Ala Wai Canal in Honolulu that needs renting. The wait may seem shorter, because you are near a beach. The rule, supposedly, states the closer the beach, the less stress for waits. Do not get upset, because there is no beach near your government office. I do not make the rules. I just try to live by them, but I have my doubts. I have already tried the rule. It does not work here in Illinois. Two factors may have to be considered. The beach nearest me is an hour away, and it is fresh water. I am not sure if man-made beaches count, for they do not have the same wave appeal. 
   

Meanwhile, let us return to hurricanes and tidbits unmoved by the storm. In 1982, the Islands sat at this same crossroads as this past weekend with Hurricane 'Iwa bearing down on them. Most people, already buying for Thanksgiving, bought a little extra. Tuesday, just two days before Thanksgiving, November 23, Hurricane 'Iwa hit the Hawaii Islands with a knock-out punch. Obviously, the surf is highly dangerous at a time like this, but some disregarded the danger. A whaling ship turned museum, the Falls of Clyde, seemed about to be strangled by the storm. When some folks thought it was going to break free from its moorings, several men went to the pier and held the ropes in that lashing storm. Can you imagine the conversation?

 “Come on, guys. Do you want to join me for some strength and endurance training? You will not have to shower when we’re finished.”

 That is what I call chutzpah. The Falls of Clyde was damaged by the storm, but later restored. Those slightly crazy stalwarts did some good out there in that horrible hurricane. 

Power was out all over the islands. But not to be deterred, I remember thinking, “With a little ingenuity, I can roast a turkey in my grill, but how am I going to bake pumpkin pies?” I do not know whether Sara Lee lived on the islands back then, or not. If she did, I did not know her. It did not make any difference, because Lilihau baked there. She had a delightful bakery then and still does. If you are ever there, stop by, you will not regret it. http://lilihabakeryhawaii.com/

       Hawaii Electric Company did a wonderful job restoring power to us as they worked 20-hour shifts for which we were truly grateful. We have unforgettable memories from that Thanksgiving. Thankfully, we baked our turkey in our oven. Delicious memories made that week, unlike the roasted turkey, never disappeared.  

Note about Hurricane Names:   

If you are wondering whether  you can have a hurricane named after someone, or after you, probably not. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida and the World Meteorological Organization control those things. They use the names on a six-year rotation, retiring whichever ones they choose. They also retire the name of a hurricane if it has horrific consequences, so people will not have to relive traumatic memories. 

Other quotes about your name:  

Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you; Isaiah 43:1-2a. (NET)

Information to prepare for tornadoes or hurricanes at the Ready website

Tornadoes http://www.ready.gov/tornadoes

Hurricane http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

References
Carlson, Doug (2007, November 14).Hurricane 'Iwa — and a tale of lessons lost, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, retrieved October 19, 2014 from http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Nov/15/op/hawaii711150301.html 
Frequently Asked Questions. National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 19, 2014 from  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/faq.shtml

Isaiah 43.1-2. Bible Gateway, The Christianbook Group. Retrieved October 20, 2014 from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+43%3A1-2&version=NET

Photo. Used by permission. NOAA Photo Library. National Weather Service Collection. Retrieved October 20, 2014from http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/wea00408.htm

Tropical Cyclone Names, National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 19, 2014 from  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Dear Readers. 

Please disregard the spacing and color blips this week, as there are gremlins in the system. Thanks for your patience. Frances L. Lewis