The most powerful hurricane in modern Hawaiian history touched down on Kaua'i at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 11, 1992, with winds of 160 miles per hour and gusts of up to 200 miles per hour.
A hurricane watch had been posted early that morning and was upgraded to a hurricane warning well in advance of the storm. Still, few could have been prepared for the devastation Iniki would bring.
The hurricane hit the island dead on, its powerful center destroying everything in its path.
The impact was difficult to grasp at the time: three people killed, nearly 100 more injured, more than 6,000 homes destroyed or seriously damaged. In the hours and days that followed, thousands would take refuge with friends and family, or in shelters. Many were left without electricity or telephone service for weeks or months.
The category 4 hurricane also brushed past O'ahu, where it battered the Wai'anae Coast, killing two and laying waste to the southwestern shore. Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated to nearby shelters.
In all, Iniki caused an estimated $1.8 billion in damage.
While the hurricane struck a powerful blow to Kaua'i's economy — a decade later, there were still fewer hotel rooms than were available before Iniki — the community responded with a unity of purpose that surprised even those who grew up in the state known for its aloha. Residents shared whatever they had left with neighbors and strangers, and thousands volunteered to help clear the damage.
A week and a day after Iniki ravaged the island, 53 percent of Kaua'i's registered voters turned out for the 1992 primary election, casting ballots in schools, shelters and tents.
