In late August, Hawaii’s big island was threatened by three major tropical storms and amateur radio operators were prepared to assist as the threat grew more intense. Russell Roberts, KH6JRM, Public Information Officer, Hawaii County, ARRL Pacific Section, said that beginning August 23, storm watches and warnings were being issued for tropical storms Hone, Gilma, and Hector, all churning off the island’s southern coast.

By August 31 and September 1, Hone had become a Category 1 hurricane with winds over 75 miles per hour (MPH), occasional gusts to 100 MPH and heavy rain. Gilma was next as a Category 1, but later intensified to a Category 3 hurricane, dropping 28 inches of rain which flooded roads, along with high winds that brought down trees, power and communications lines.

“We had 3 Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) operators on the net for about 24 hours beginning August 30 and they handled 41 contacts,” said Roberts. “Some repeaters were out of fuel, so we switched to HF to pass traffic and assess the damage.”

The storms never made landfall and while there were no fatalities or injuries, the damage was severe. Nearly 30,000 residents were affected. Power is still out for over 200 customers, cleanup and road repair are active.

“We were very fortunate,” said Roberts. “There was concern a fire warning would need to be issued for several parts of the island. But the approaching weather brought rain and lowered temperatures.”