Hawaii Isn't Prepared for a Future With Major Hurricanes
*By Carlo Versano*
Hurricane Lane, a major Category 4 storm, lashed the Big Island of Hawaii Thursday as it churned through the Pacific. The hurricane could be the strongest to hit the island chain in 25 years and, according to Andrew Freedman at Axios, is "doing pretty much the worst thing it could possibly do."
Though Lane is weakening and slowing, according to the latest from the [National Weather Service](https://twitter.com/NWSHonolulu), the potential for torrential rain, storm surge, and landslide conditions will loom over the next two days.
Hawaii is not used to hurricane prep. The islands benefit from a combination of cooler waters during prime season and a ridge of high pressure that typically protects it from tropical systems. The last major hurricane to hit [famously](http://articles.latimes.com/1992-09-13/news/mn-1196_1_hurricane-iniki) made landfall during the filming of "Jurassic Park" in 1992.
"Whenever storms try and come up, they fizzle out when they get there," Freedman, Axios's science editor, said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar.
But this year, an El Niño effect is keeping the Pacific water warmer, making Hawaiians more vulnerable to hurricanes. And with more climate change, Hawaii will experience severe tropical weather, Freedman said.
"This is a sign of things to come," he forecast.
The pristine shores of Maui and Oahu are likely to experience waves as high as 20 feet, with the potential for beach erosion, coastal and flash flooding, and sustained hurricane-force winds in the capital of Honolulu through Saturday. Because Lane is moving so slowly and will touch each island ー and given the terrain ー Hawaiians should be prepared for a "potential flooding disaster," hurricane expert Dr. Rick Knabb [tweeted] (https://twitter.com/DrRickKnabb/status/1032635284125622272) on Thursday.
Further complicating the situation, Hawaii has no easy procedure for mass evacuations. Its shelter system isn't designed for major hurricanes, Freedman said.
"They're not accustomed to this."
For full interview [click here] (https://cheddar.com/videos/hurricane-lane-could-be-most-destructive-hurricane-to-hit-hawaii-in-almost-three-decades).
The UN's World Meteorological Organization reported that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit record levels in 2020, despite coronavirus-related lockdowns. With the COP26 international meeting on climate change less than a week away, Risk and behavioral scientist Dr. Sweta Chakraborty joined Cheddar to break down the "code red for humanity" the report represents and what actual commitments must be made to prevent significant global temperature increases.
The United Nations COP26 climate talks are scheduled for October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, Scotland. Heads of state will be joined by private sector leaders to once again discuss the shrinking window of time left to take action against global temperature rise. Barbara Humpton, CEO of focused technology company Siemens U.S., is also attending and spoke to Cheddar about what she hopes to see during the conference for both the public and private spheres. "What we are really urging is that there are large commitments made in Glasgow and that we really commit to this next decade of action," she said.
Voyager, Nanoracks, and Lockheed Martin are all teaming up to develop the first-ever free-flying commercial space station with room for a crew of four astronauts. The private companies are joining forces as part of NASA’s greater mission to retire the International Space Station by the year 2030. The low-earth orbit space station will be called "Starlab," and is planned to achieve operational capability by 2027. Lisa Callahan, Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin, and Matthew J. Kuta, President and Chief Operating Officer of Voyager Space, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments in the Alec Baldwin prop gun shooting, when vaccines for kids as young as 5 should be approved, new reporting on Facebook and more.
Middle school students from across the country battled it out for a chance at being crowned 'America's Top Scientist.' Each applicant had to submit a video to compete in the '3M Young Scientist Challenge' and describe a unique solution to an everyday problem for the chance to win $25,000. 10 finalists were chosen and after a two-day virtual competition, one walked away with the title. 14-year-old Sarah Park won the award, she joins Cheddar News to talk about her invention Spark Care+.
NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci has stated that recipients of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine should have gotten two doses, to begin with. An FDA panel had recently recommended that J&J boosters be made available for everyone who received the single dose.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is delaying its launch date for commercial space flights to Q4 of 2022 following a rescheduled test flight. Shares for the aerospace company fell on the news.
The NIH released findings of a study that say recipients of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine may benefit from getting Pfizer or Moderna boosters as the antibody levels from those shots were seen as more robust than from a Johnson & Johnson booster.
"Star Trek" actor William Shatner's voice broke with emotion as he recounted his trip into space on the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket to Jeff Bezos on October 13, 2021.
