Tropical Depression- Maximum sustained winds less than 39 miles per hour

Tropical Storm- Maximum sustained winds above 39 miles per hour to 74 miles per hour

Hurricane- Maximum sustained winds above 74 miles per hour (Hurricanes have 5 categories depending on sustained wind speed)

Iniki, the last hurricane to hit Kauai was a category 4 storm that hit on September, 1992. This storm caused 3 billion dollars-worth of damage and is one of the most powerfulstorms to hit the Hawaiian islands to date.

The Intergovenmental Panel on Climate Change projections predict

"a likely increase of peak wind intensities and notably, where analysed, increased near-storm precipitation in future tropical cyclones."

IPCC Publication on Tropical Cyclones

This means that tropical cyclones, which include hurricanes, may be more intense in the future due to climate change.

At our current waste production rate a storm of Hurricane Iniki's strength could produce 667,000 tons of waste and recyclables in just one day. Although there is no historical data on a category 5 storm, the amount of waste produced would undoubtedly be more severe.

The County of Kaua‘i is currently working on implementing and planning a variety of waste diversion programs (MRF, 32 gallon trash service, and curbside recycling). In the event of a hurricane, these programs would be suspended until the emergency clean-up was completed. This would push back the schedules of many of these highly sought after programs even further into the future.