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Hurricane Hiki was the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States. It was also considered the first official hurricane in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands. The fourth tropical cyclone of the 1950 Pacific hurricane season, Hiki formed as a tropical depression to the southeast of Hawaii on August 12. On the following day, the depression headed northwestward and intensified into Tropical Storm Hiki. While paralleling the Hawaiian Islands on August 16, Hiki strengthened into a hurricane. Around that time, the storm peaked with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). The following day, Hiki curved southwestward on August 17. Two days later, the hurricane resumed moving northwestward and weakened to a tropical storm shortly thereafter. Around midday on August 21, Hiki weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated about six hours later. Although Hiki was a small tropical cyclone and bypassed Hawaii, heavy rainfall and strong winds were observed throughout the islands. At the Kanalohuluhulu Ranger Station on Kauai, of precipitation was observed, which was the highest total associated with a tropical cyclone on record in the United States. The Waimea River overflowed, causing more than 200 residents to flee their homes. Many streets and several hundred acres of sugar cane fields were flooded. About $200,000 (1950 USD) in damage was reported due to flooding in the city of Waimea. In Kekaha, the powerhouse suffered severe damage. Throughout the islands, winds de-roofed several homes and downed power lines; one fatality occurred after a person came in contact with a live wire. ==Meteorological history== According to ship reports during the summer, the Intertropical Convergence Zone was farther north than usual, which created favorable conditions for tropical cyclogenesis. Weather charts at the Honolulu International Airport, a tropical depression developed at 00:00 UTC on August 12, while located about southeast of the Big Island.〔 Thereafter, the storm gradually intensified, becoming a tropical storm at 06:00 UTC on August 13. It was named ''Hiki'', which is Hawaiian for ''Able''. While situated east of Hilo, Hawaii, the system was described as an "immature storm", and had a very small diameter. Shortly thereafter, a reconnaissance aircraft flew into Hiki and estimated that sustained wind speeds between 50 and 60 mph (80 and 100 km/h). Further intensification continued and the system strengthened into a hurricane on August 16. Upon reaching hurricane intensity on August 16, Hiki simultaneously attained its maximum sustained wind speed of 85 mph (140 km/h). Despite this, the storm had remained small, with gale force winds extending less than from the center. Hiki remained between 100 and 200 mi (160 and 320 km) offshore while paralleling several Hawaiian Islands, including Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai.〔 As a high pressure ridge intensified, the northwestward movement of Hiki was blocked, causing the storm to briefly turn due west on August 17. The high pressure ridge eventually influenced the hurricane to re-curve southwestward. On August 18, a reconnaissance aircraft observed sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) to the south of the center; a minimum barometric pressure of was also observed. After the reconnaissance aircraft flight into the storm on August 18, residents of Kauai and Oahu were alerted of a possible cyclonic loop. However, later that day, the high pressure ridge weakened, causing Hiki to turned westward and pass south of French Frigate Shoals and Midway Island.〔 Late on August 19, Hiki weakened to a tropical storm and then resumed its course to the northwest. By August 21, Hiki further weakened to a tropical depression, and dissipated six hours later. The hurricane was also followed by the Air Weather Service, located on Guam. As described in "Report on the Post Analysis of Typhoons in the Western North Pacific -1950" this system was also assigned the name ''Salome'' from the North West Pacific Typhoon name list for 1950.〔Air Weather Service Report on the Post Analysis of Typhoons in the Western North Pacific -1950〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hurricane Hiki」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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