20 Years Since Hurricane Iniki Struck Hawaii Islands

It’s been 20 years since Hurricane Iniki left no part of Kauai untouched, destroying thousands of homes and killing six people.

Tuesday marks the anniversary of the 1992 hurricane that caused $2.5 billion in damage. While it devastated the island of Kauai, it also caused substantial damage to Oahu.

Hawaii residents had watched the powerful Pacific storm’s approach for days, hoping it might bypass them. When it finally did strike, many residents, having experienced Hurricane Iwa in 1982, braced for the worst.

But Iniki was even fiercer than anyone expected.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says since then, the amount of satellites gathering information over the Pacific has grown. The quality of data has also improved, allowing for better tracking of tropical cyclones.