Climate change is increasing hurricane risk for Hawaiʻi
Science Friday

Climate change is increasing hurricane risk for Hawaiʻi

B2Upper-intermediateSeptember 22, 202612 min

The Hawaiian Islands tend to be insulated from the worst effects of hurricanes, but this summer has been different. In mid-August, Hurricane Lala pummeled the Big Island, damaging homes and roads and causing flooding and power outages. Then a few weeks later, Hurricane Lowell hit the islands of Ni‘ihau and Kaua‘i. What do scientists make of this hurricane season? And how is climate change playing out along Hawaiʻi’s coasts? Flora talks with Haunani Kane, who studies how climate change impacts the islands, about resilience, the importance of reefs, and combining different types of knowledg...

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Hey, it's Flora and you're listening to Science Friday.

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But this summer told a different story.

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0:00

Hey, it's Flora and you're listening to Science Friday. The Hawaiian islands tend to be insulated from the worst effects from hurricanes. But this summer told a different story. In mid-August, Hurricane Lala struck the big island, damaging homes and roads, creating

0:20

flooding and power outages. Then a few weeks later, Hurricane Lowell hit the islands of Nihi Hao and Kauai, leaving more destruction in its wake. So, what do scientists make of this dramatic storm season for the Hawaiian Islands?

0:36

Joining me now is Dr. Haunani Kane, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she studies how climate change impacts islands, reefs, and island people. Welcome to Science Friday. Hello, Haunani.

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