Hurricane Nina (1957)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Nina was the final tropical storm and hurricane of the 1957 Pacific hurricane season
and the last storm to form during the active Central Pacific hurricane season this year. This storm was named "Nina" because during this time, hurricanes in this basin were given names from the typhoon naming lists. This storm was the last to form during a series of typhoons to form in the Pacific in November.
Nina never made landfall while active, although some forecasts called for Nina to be the first hurricane to make landfall on Hawaii
, but the hurricane veered west before hitting land. However, it came close enough to Hawaii to cause light damage and prompt evacuations. Nina was the first hurricane to affect the island of Kauai
at that intensity. This storm was preceded by a winter storm that caused damaging surf along the north coast of Kauai and was both preceded and proceeded by cold fronts sweeping over Hawaii.
and that during the night, the wind velocity peaked at 70 mph. Because of an irregular schedule for reporting, the last report received from the weather station, obtained eighteen hours earlier, had reported only small winds and 1004.7 mb pressure. Most noteworthy about this report was the 3-hour pressure tendency, which reported -3.2 mbar. Post-analysis revealed that this tendency was an indication of tropical cyclone development.
After receiving the second report on the 29th, warnings were immediately put out on the cyclone, which was given the name "Nina" from the typhoon list. For 24 hours, the center of the storm was reported to be stationary as the weather on Palmyra was continuously abnormal, but the next day, an aircraft from the Air Force
showed that the storm was 500 miles north of the island and that it had intensified to hurricane strength. After six more hours, Nina's forward speed had quickly slowed 16 mph while the storm began a northward track, heading towards Kauai
, but before reaching the island, the storm turned first to the north-northwest on December 2 and then sharply to the west later that day.
On December 4, Nina had reached its peak intensity of 85 mph. At this time, a polar high pressure system moved off the coast of Japan
. The system reached Nina on December 6 and forced the hurricane into a southward path. Twenty hours after the turn, the cold air from the system got trapped inside the circulation of Nina and caused the storm to rapidly dissipate. The last advisory on the system was issued early on December 7 while Nina was at depression strength south of Midway Atoll
.
and the forecasts for an imminent landfall resulted in massive evacuations. An estimated 300 people living in Hanapepe and Hanalei
were forced to evacuate when the Hanalei River
overflowed its banks. An estimated 1,500 people on Kauai
were evacuated to higher ground, where the Red Cross had established seven evacuation centers for these people to evacuate to. In addition, thirteen members of the United States Coast Guard
were evacuated from low-lying islands and harbors when they were threatened by rising tides triggered by the hurricane and the threat of flooding forced 420 military personnel and families in Waikiki
's Ft. Derussy and Ft. Armstrong as well as those living in Ft. Kamehameha, near Pearl Harbor
to leave for higher ground. 270 were housed in Tripler Army Hospital
and a temporary shelter was opened in Ft. Shafter, both of which were on high ground. In anticipation of Nina, 85 planes were flown away from Barber's Point Naval Air Base to Midway
and several commercial flights were cancelled until the storm had passed. There was also concern for the residents of the privately owned Niihau
, the closest landmass to the center of Nina and 20 miles closer than Kauai. The island's only communications was by boat and most attempts at reaching the island failed due to high surf.
when Herman Palepana, a lineman in the Honolulu street department, got killed when he was electrocuted by a power line
downed during Nina's passing. Soon after, a sampan
called the Setsu Maru sent a distress call reporting that the boat was sinking 10 miles east of Niihau
. Even though the Navy sent the submarine rescue vessel Couchal and conducted an air-seas search for the vessel, no trace of the sampan or the wreckage had been found. All three people aboard the boat were reported dead as a result. Another person in Hanapepe was injured when a tree came through a window in his house, causing minor forehead cuts. The phone lines to the county seat of Kauai County, Lihue, were broken during the hurricane. The Aloha Theater in Hanapepe had been flooded by up to three feet of water. Reports from the five major islands indicated that less than 50 homes had been damaged during the storm and roughly 12 of them being destroyed on Kauai alone. Another ship disaster occurred when the Greek
freighter Margarita Chandris got caught in the storm's winds while heading to Honolulu from Kobe
. A distress call from the ship described the ship as "out of control". The initial fears were that the winds from Nina would pull the ship closer to its center. These fears were made worse when the ship was found to be cargoless, making it easier to be moved by the waves. A later call said that the crew was unable to steer the ship. Three ships, the Rainier
, the United States Coast Guard
cutter Winnebago and the cargoliner President Monroe, were sent out to find and guide the Chandris to port. The Monroe finally found the freighter and guided it toward land until the Winnebago caught up. The cutter finally caught up to the Margarita Chandris and relieved the President Monroe and started planning to board and make repairs. Afterward, it was decided that the Margarita Chandris had enough fuel to drift into Honolulu alone. Nina's proximity also caused heavy rains, with 20.42 inches falling in Wainiha in 14 hours. Overall, Hurricane Nina was responsible for $100,000 in damages (1957 USD), mostly from heavy surf, some of which measured 35 feet high.
, the name "Nina" will likely not be used again.
1950-1969 Pacific hurricane seasons
The 1950–1963 Pacific hurricane seasons all began on May 15, 1950-65 in the northeast Pacific Ocean and on June 1, 1950-65 in the central Pacific. They ended on November 30, 1950-65...
and the last storm to form during the active Central Pacific hurricane season this year. This storm was named "Nina" because during this time, hurricanes in this basin were given names from the typhoon naming lists. This storm was the last to form during a series of typhoons to form in the Pacific in November.
Nina never made landfall while active, although some forecasts called for Nina to be the first hurricane to make landfall on Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, but the hurricane veered west before hitting land. However, it came close enough to Hawaii to cause light damage and prompt evacuations. Nina was the first hurricane to affect the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
at that intensity. This storm was preceded by a winter storm that caused damaging surf along the north coast of Kauai and was both preceded and proceeded by cold fronts sweeping over Hawaii.
Meteorological history
On November 29, a disturbance in the ITCZ began gaining organization near Palmyra Island, which the ITCZ had been near for a week prior. The weather station on the island reported southwestern surface winds of 50 mph and a pressure of 1002.7 mbarBar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
and that during the night, the wind velocity peaked at 70 mph. Because of an irregular schedule for reporting, the last report received from the weather station, obtained eighteen hours earlier, had reported only small winds and 1004.7 mb pressure. Most noteworthy about this report was the 3-hour pressure tendency, which reported -3.2 mbar. Post-analysis revealed that this tendency was an indication of tropical cyclone development.
After receiving the second report on the 29th, warnings were immediately put out on the cyclone, which was given the name "Nina" from the typhoon list. For 24 hours, the center of the storm was reported to be stationary as the weather on Palmyra was continuously abnormal, but the next day, an aircraft from the Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
showed that the storm was 500 miles north of the island and that it had intensified to hurricane strength. After six more hours, Nina's forward speed had quickly slowed 16 mph while the storm began a northward track, heading towards Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
, but before reaching the island, the storm turned first to the north-northwest on December 2 and then sharply to the west later that day.
On December 4, Nina had reached its peak intensity of 85 mph. At this time, a polar high pressure system moved off the coast of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The system reached Nina on December 6 and forced the hurricane into a southward path. Twenty hours after the turn, the cold air from the system got trapped inside the circulation of Nina and caused the storm to rapidly dissipate. The last advisory on the system was issued early on December 7 while Nina was at depression strength south of Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
.
Preparations
Despite never moving onto land, Nina's proximity to HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and the forecasts for an imminent landfall resulted in massive evacuations. An estimated 300 people living in Hanapepe and Hanalei
Hanalei, Hawaii
Hanalei is a census-designated place in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 478 at the 2000 census. Hanalei means "lei making" in Hawaiian...
were forced to evacuate when the Hanalei River
Hanalei River
The Hanalei River on the island of Kauai in Hawaii flows north from the eastern slopes Mount Waialeale for until entering the Pacific Ocean at Hanalei Bay as an estuary...
overflowed its banks. An estimated 1,500 people on Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
were evacuated to higher ground, where the Red Cross had established seven evacuation centers for these people to evacuate to. In addition, thirteen members of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
were evacuated from low-lying islands and harbors when they were threatened by rising tides triggered by the hurricane and the threat of flooding forced 420 military personnel and families in Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
's Ft. Derussy and Ft. Armstrong as well as those living in Ft. Kamehameha, near Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
to leave for higher ground. 270 were housed in Tripler Army Hospital
Tripler Army Medical Center
Tripler Army Medical Center is the headquarters of the Pacific Regional Medical Command of the armed forces administered by the United States Army in the State of Hawaii. It is the largest military hospital in the Asian and Pacific Rim region and serves a military sphere of jurisdiction that spans...
and a temporary shelter was opened in Ft. Shafter, both of which were on high ground. In anticipation of Nina, 85 planes were flown away from Barber's Point Naval Air Base to Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
and several commercial flights were cancelled until the storm had passed. There was also concern for the residents of the privately owned Niihau
Niihau
Niihau or Niihau is the seventh largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii, having an area of . Niihau lies southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian Coot, the Black-winged Stilt, and the...
, the closest landmass to the center of Nina and 20 miles closer than Kauai. The island's only communications was by boat and most attempts at reaching the island failed due to high surf.
Impact
Despite the evacuations, Nina's closest approach to Hawaii was 120 miles away. However, it came close enough to bring winds and heavy rain to the islands. There were four deaths reported in connection to the storm. The first reported was on OahuOahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
when Herman Palepana, a lineman in the Honolulu street department, got killed when he was electrocuted by a power line
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
downed during Nina's passing. Soon after, a sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
called the Setsu Maru sent a distress call reporting that the boat was sinking 10 miles east of Niihau
Niihau
Niihau or Niihau is the seventh largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii, having an area of . Niihau lies southwest of Kauai across the Kaulakahi Channel. Several intermittent playa lakes provide wetland habitats for the Hawaiian Coot, the Black-winged Stilt, and the...
. Even though the Navy sent the submarine rescue vessel Couchal and conducted an air-seas search for the vessel, no trace of the sampan or the wreckage had been found. All three people aboard the boat were reported dead as a result. Another person in Hanapepe was injured when a tree came through a window in his house, causing minor forehead cuts. The phone lines to the county seat of Kauai County, Lihue, were broken during the hurricane. The Aloha Theater in Hanapepe had been flooded by up to three feet of water. Reports from the five major islands indicated that less than 50 homes had been damaged during the storm and roughly 12 of them being destroyed on Kauai alone. Another ship disaster occurred when the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
freighter Margarita Chandris got caught in the storm's winds while heading to Honolulu from Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. A distress call from the ship described the ship as "out of control". The initial fears were that the winds from Nina would pull the ship closer to its center. These fears were made worse when the ship was found to be cargoless, making it easier to be moved by the waves. A later call said that the crew was unable to steer the ship. Three ships, the Rainier
USS Rainier (AE-5)
USS Rainier , the second US Navy vessel named after Mount Rainier, was laid down on 14 May 1940 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla., as Rainbow ; launched 1 March 1941; sponsored by Mrs. Robert E...
, the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
cutter Winnebago and the cargoliner President Monroe, were sent out to find and guide the Chandris to port. The Monroe finally found the freighter and guided it toward land until the Winnebago caught up. The cutter finally caught up to the Margarita Chandris and relieved the President Monroe and started planning to board and make repairs. Afterward, it was decided that the Margarita Chandris had enough fuel to drift into Honolulu alone. Nina's proximity also caused heavy rains, with 20.42 inches falling in Wainiha in 14 hours. Overall, Hurricane Nina was responsible for $100,000 in damages (1957 USD), mostly from heavy surf, some of which measured 35 feet high.
Records and naming
While Nina was near Honolulu, it caused unusually high winds. When wind gusts of 82 mph were recorded at Honolulu airport during the storm, it set the record for highest wind gust ever recorded in that city. This was the first and last time a Central Pacific hurricane was named "Nina". The name was not retired, but because of the use of a current naming list using the Hawaiian languageHawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
, the name "Nina" will likely not be used again.
See also
- List of Pacific hurricanes
- Hurricane IwaHurricane IwaHurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name for the frigatebird , 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...
– Central Pacific hurricane that formed and took a similar track to Nina.