The Inquisitr » hawaii

Tropical Storm Felicia Still On Course For Hawaii

AHN — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:08:30 +0000

Hilo, Hawaii (AHN) – Tropical Storm Felicia remains on course to make landfall on the Hawaiian islands early Tuesday morning. After swelling to a dangerous Category 4 hurricane last week, colder Pacific Ocean water weakened Felicia as it heads west.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) reports the eye of the storm is 395 east of Hilo, Hawaii and about 560 miles east of Honolulu.

Felicia is moving at around 10 miles per hour, which will bring the outer bands of rain to the island chain by Monday night.

There is a Tropical Storm Watch in effect for Oahu and much of Maui. The islands are expecting heavy rains, and meteorologists warn flash floods could also strike.

Hurricane Felicia Headed Directly For Hawaii

AHN — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:20:27 +0000

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) – The latest update from the National Hurricane Center puts Hurricane Felicia on a direct course for the Big Island, with the eye of the storm making landfall at 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

Felicia is still a Category 4 storm, with sustained wind speeds of 140 miles per hour (220 km/hr). Moving at 10 mph, the storm is about 1,545 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii.

The storm is likely to speed up as it moves west across the Pacific Ocean, but will weaken in intensity, according to meteorologists.

A Category 4 storm is the second strongest weather system on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Hurricane Katrina was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall in Louisiana in 2005; the storm killed over 1,800 people and did about $81.2 billion in damage. Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 storm when it made landfall in South Florida in 1992; the storm killed 26 people and caused $26.5 billion in damage.

Hanalei Bay Named Nation’s Best Beach

JR — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:03:24 +0000

Hawaii’s Hanalei Bay is the best beach in America, according to a new list released by a guy who calls himself “Dr. Beach.”

Stephen P. Leatherman (oddly fitting last name for a dude who spends his days basking in the sun) published his annual “America’s Best Beaches” list this week. Leatherman — er, sorry, Dr. Beach — says he looked at dozens of different factors in making his selections. Everything from water quality to temperature and cleanliness to safety, he says, came into play.

Hanalei Bay & Beyond

While Hanalei Bay, Hawaii takes the honor of best beach, nine other sandy locations are also getting a nod. Here’s Dr. Beach’s list of “America’s Best Beaches” for 2009:

1. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

2. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Fla.

3. Coopers Beach, Southampton, N.Y.

4. Coronado Beach, San Diego.

5. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii.

6. Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.

7. Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks, N.C.

8. Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Fla.

9. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Mass.

10. Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.

Whoops: Guided Missile Cruiser USS Port Royal runs aground

Duncan Riley — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:20:16 +0000

Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser the USS Port Royal has run aground off Hawaii.

The ship hit sand approximately half mile off one of Honolulu International Airport’s main runways Thursday evening.

Navy tug boats tried to get the ship off the sand Friday morning, but were unsuccessful.

The last of the Ticonderoga-class, the USS Port Royal cost $1 billion to build, and has a crew of 360. The ship is permanently stationed in Hawaii. The Port Royal was last in the news January 2008 when it was the center of an international incident in the Gulf, when Iranian boats came at it, and the USS Hopper.

Not news: Hawaii Lei’s in short supply. News: because they are imported from Thailand

Duncan Riley — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:59:36 +0000

Hawaii is famous for many things, and one of those things is the traditional Lei, the traditional Hawaiian floral garland placed around the neck.

You’d think therefore that the Lei being a Hawaiian thing that Lei’s would be sustained by a ready supply of local flowers, but you’d be wrong.

Most Hawaiian Leis are made from imported flowers from Thailand, and presuming you haven’t been living in a cave, you know what’s going on there at the moment.

The flowers used for Lei’s are in short supply because of the shutdown of Bangkok’s international airport by anti-government protesters, according to reports. Lei shop owners say they are substituting other flowers when they can and not filling some orders.

The good news is that the shortage of Thai flowers isn’t affecting the price of Lei’s yet, but only due to a seasonal lull in tourist traffic. If the issues in Thailand continue, the cost of Lei’s may go through the roof in the new year, presuming Lei makes can find any.

Remember the next time you go to Hawaii: you may joke that most things you buy are Made in China, but apparently Hawaiian tradition is manufactured in Thailand.