Natural Disaster Studies. Volume 1. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii, December 31, 1987-January 1, 1988

摘要

The flood in 1988 brought home the uncomfortable realization that many suburban areas of eastern Oahu are at risk from sudden and in some cases, unpredictable flooding. Torrential rains fell over the southeastern portion of the island on New Year's Eve, precipitating major flooding in several suburban neighborhoods and resulting in $34 million in damages. Neither the current meteorological capabilities nor the present flood control structures proved adequate to predict or control the deluge. The present report seeks to document and analyze the meteorological conditions leading to the torrential rains, the causes and patterns of flooding, the performance of flood control structures in the affected areas, the extent of damages, and the effectiveness of local emergency response and recovery actions.