Powerful Kona Windstorm – Oahu Dec 5, 2007

One of the most powerful Kona storms in recent memory struck the state of Hawaii on December 5th, 2007. The storm brought wind gusts over 70mph to Oahu, Molokai and Maui, and gusts over 50mph to the rest of the state. As with most Kona storms, the strongest winds were recorded in lee of mountain ranges and ridges, particularly on Oahu. I spent the afternoon of December 4th filming onshore winds in Honolulu, then travelled across the Ko’olau Mountains to Kailua, where stronger winds were forecast to occur. The winds increased throughout the night and started causing damage around 9pm on Oahu. The winds slowly increased until the squall line arrived around 3:15am, at which point the winds rapidly increased to near hurricane force. The worst of the winds were over after 20mins. During this short time the roof of the home I was staying in was badly damaged, and hundreds of other homes in the Kailua/Kaneohe area experienced mild to moderate roof and window damage. Power lines built to withstand 80mph winds were blown over in the storm.

Tagged as: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kailua, Kona, Oahu, storm, wind