The Central Pacific Hurricane season began on June 1 and runs through November 1. And, now, Hawaii’s is watching its first hurricane of the season, Hurricane Hector.
As of Sunday afternoon, Hurricane Hector restrengthened to a major category 4 hurricane. At the time, the storm was 1,130 miles away from South Point on the Big Island moving west at 14 mph. And its packing maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. It’s still too early to tell what kind of effect it’ll have on the islands, but Hector looks like it’ll graze the Big Island.
What You Need to Know
At the moment, island residents are (or should be) preparing for the worst. Hector could graze the Big Island, turn towards the islands, turn away, strengthen, fizzle, or some combination of these options. But we won’t know until it gets closer. And at this time, Hector should approach the Big Island on Wednesday. Again, this can change at any time, though.
So if you’re planning on traveling to the islands in the coming weeks, keep an eye on the news. If the storm looks like it will hit the islands, airlines and hotels will usually allow changes free of charge. But, if you’re concerned about possible effects and want to change your plans now, it wouldn’t hurt to call immediately. Bear in mind, though, that you’re more likely to receive approval for a change if your travel dates are on days the forecast thinks the storm might impact the islands.
If you’re already in Hawaii and are supposed to leave when the storm hits, you’ll likely be able to remain in your hotel room during the storm. But be prepared to pay for additional nights. Hotels aren’t obliged to give free lodging if you get stranded here due to weather.
Trip Delay Insurance
In the event you do get stranded here thanks to a hurricane, it helps to have a credit card with Trip Delay Insurance. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a reimbursement of up to $500 per common carrier ticket. To qualify, you need to purchase at least part of your ticket with the card. The benefit covers the cardholder, their spouse, and children under the age of 22. And, the coverage kicks in after six hours of delay to cover lodging and meals.
Keeping an Eye on Hurricane Hector, Final Thoughts
The last time the Big Island was hit by a storm was back in 2014. Hurricane Iselle strengthened to a category 4 hurricane, before quickly deteriorating into a tropical storm before hitting the Kau Coast. And the last hurricane to hit any of the islands directly was Iniki, which devastated Kauai. In all of those cases, last minute changes resulted in the storms hitting the islands.
So, given the uncertainty surrounding Hector, it’s important to keep vigilant and plan accordingly. And, yes, I realize this information is no outdated as I wrote this post last night. But I’ll do my best to provide updates as appropriate.