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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

NATURAL DISASTER STUDIES

Volume One

THE NEW YEAR'S EVE FLOOD ON OAHU, HAWAII DECEMBER 31, 1987-JANUARY 1, 1988

Prepared by:

John A. Dracup (Team Leader),

Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, Civil Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles

Edmond D. H. Cheng,

Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu

Joanne M. Nigg,

Director, Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, Newark

Thomas A. Schroeder,

Assistant Professor, Department of Meteorology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu

For:

Committee on Natural Disasters

Division of Natural Hazard Mitigation

Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1991

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Frank Press is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Samuel O. Thier is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Frank Press and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

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A limited number of copies of this report are available from:

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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

NATURAL DISASTER STUDIES

An Investigative Series of the Committee on Natural Disasters

The Committee on Natural Disasters and its predecessors, dating back to the committee that studied the 1964 Alaska Earthquake, have conducted on-site studies and prepared reports reflecting their findings and recommendations on the mitigation of natural disaster effects. Objectives of the committee are to:

  • record time-sensitive information immediately following disasters;

  • provide guidance on how engineering and the social sciences can best be applied to the improvement of public safety;

  • recommend research needed to advance the state of the art in the area of natural disaster reduction; and

  • conduct special studies to address long-term issues in natural disasters, particularly issues of a multiple-hazard nature.

EDITOR

Riley M. Chung

National Research Council

EDITORIAL BOARD

Dennis S. Mileti, Chairman

Colorado State University

Fort Collins

Nobert S. Baer

New York University

New York, New York

Earl J. Baker

Florida State University

Tallahassee

Arthur N. L. Chiu

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu

Hanna J. Cortner

University of Arizona

Tucson

Peter Gergely

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Joseph H. Golden

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Washington, D.C.

Wilfred D. Iwan

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

Ahsan Kareem

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Dale C. Perry

Texas A&M University

College Station

William J. Petak

University of Southern California

Los Angeles

Robert L. Schuster

U.S. Geological Survey

Denver, Colorado

SPONSORING AGENCIES

Federal Emergency Management Agency

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Science Foundation

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

INVITATION FOR DISCUSSION

Materials presented in Natural Disaster Studies often contain observations and statements that inspire debate. Readers interested in contributing to the discussion surrounding any topic contained in the journal may do so in the form of a letter to the editor. Letters will be reviewed by the editorial board, and if considered appropriate, printed in subsequent issues of Natural Disaster Studies.

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

COMMITTEE ON NATURAL DISASTERS (1987–1990)

NORBERT S. BAER,

Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, New York

JAY BAKER,

Department of Geography, Florida State University, Tallahassee

ARTHUR N. L. CHIU,

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu

HANNA J. CORTNER,

Water Resources Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson

JOHN A. DRACUP,

Civil Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles

DANNY L. FREAD,

National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland

PETER GERGELY,

Department of Structural Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

JOSEPH H. GOLDEN,

Chief Scientist Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, D.C.

WILFRED D. IWAN,

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

AHSAN KAREEM,

Civil Engineering Department, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

DENNIS S. MILETI,

Department of Sociology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

JOSEPH PENZIEN,

Department of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

DALE C. PERRY,

Department of Construction Science, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station

WILLIAM J. PETAK,

Institute of Safety and Systems Management, University of Southern California, Los Angeles

ROBERT L. SCHUSTER,

U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado

RANDALL G. UPDIKE,

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia

Staff

RILEY M. CHUNG, Director

BARBARA BODLING, Editor

SUSAN R. MCCUTCHEN, Administrative Assistant

GREGORY A. MOCK, Editor

SHIRLEY J. WHITLEY, Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

Liaison Representatives

WILLIAM A. ANDERSON,

Earthquake Systems Integration, Division of Biological and Critical Systems, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.

BRUCE A. BAUGHMAN,

Hazard Mitigation Branch, Public Assistance Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.

FRED COLE,

Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.

ROBERT D. GALE (deceased),

U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service, Washington, D.C.

EDWARD M. GROSS, Constituent Affairs and Industrial Meteorology Staff,

National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland

WILLIAM HOOKE,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, D.C.

PAUL KRUMPE,

Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.

ELEONORA SABADELL,

Division of Biological and Critical Systems, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.

GERALD F. WIECZOREK,

Office of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Engineering, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia

ARTHUR J. ZEIZEL,

Office of Natural and Technological Hazards Programs, State and Local Programs and Support, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.

LAWRENCE W. ZENSINGER (Alternate),

Office of Disaster Assistance Programs, State and Local Programs and Support, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

Acknowledgments

This report was prepared for the Committee on Natural Disasters, National Research Council. The study team expresses its appreciation to the many individuals, organizations, and agencies that provided information and suggestions for the report, including the following:

R. K. AHULAU, American Red Cross, Honolulu

FRANK APEL, Oahu Civil Defense Agency, City and County of Honolulu

THOMAS BATEY, Hawaii State Department of Defense, Honolulu

CHI-PIN CHANG, Department of Public Works, City and County of Honolulu

WILLIAM CHANG, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu

SALWYN CHINN, U.S. Geological Survey, Honolulu

DONALD CLEGG, Department of General Planning, City and County of Honolulu

DEEONA COLUMBIA, University of California, Los Angeles

JOHN G. EMMERSON, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu

MARVINFUKAGAWA, Department of Public Works, City and County of Honolulu

DONALD GRANSBACK, Hawaii State Department of Civil Defense, Honolulu

BEN HABLUTZEL, National Weather Service Forecast Office, Honolulu

PAUL HARAGUCHI, Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu

MICHAEL HAYAMA, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Honolulu District Office

RANDALL R. INOUYE, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu

GEORGE L. KEKUNA, Oahu Civil Defense Agency, City and County of Honolulu

CLARENCE LEE, National Weather Service, Honolulu

JAMES LUM, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Honolulu

IWAO MATSUOKA, U.S. Geological Survey, Honolulu

BILL MEYER, U.S. Geological Survey, Honolulu

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

STEVE MIYAMOTO, Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu

DAN MCKENNA, Department of Meteorology, University of Hawaii

RICHARD NAKAHARA, U.S. Geological Survey, Honolulu

HARRY NAKASHIMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu

LOUIS ODA, University of Hawaii

JAMES PENNAZ, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu

HANS ROSENDAHL, National Weather Service, Honolulu

WILLIAM SATORIS, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Seattle, Washington

MALCOLM SUSSEL, Oahu Civil Defense Agency, City and County of Honolulu

ALFRED THIEDE, Department of Public Works, City and County of Honolulu

DARYL F. WAIT, Federal Emergency Management Agency, San Francisco, California

DAVID VARGO, American Red Cross, Burlingame, California

CHIP WANNER, U.S. Army Corps Engineers, Honolulu

STRATFORD WHITING, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Honolulu

GEORGE YOUNG, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×

Preface

The flood that greeted the new year 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. Conclusions and recommendations are drawn from the analyses.

This document will be of special interest to state and local hydrologists, floodplain managers, meteorologists, and disaster response personnel. It is written with the goal of improving existing flood control facilities and forecasting abilities. In particular, it addresses the current lack of consideration of sediment and debris flows in flood flow analyses of affected areas, as well as the lack of adequate weather radar on Oahu.

The findings presented here are the result of observations made on January 6–13, 1988, by a study team assembled by the Committee on Natural Disasters, a standing committee of the National Research Council. The study team's independent assessments of the meteorological conditions, emergency response efforts, and flood damage and hydrology form the basis of this report.

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii

December 31, 1987 — January 1, 1988

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
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Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1991. The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/1748.
×
Page R13
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The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii: December 31, 1987 - January 1, 1988 Get This Book
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The flood that greeted the new year 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 for the Oahu area proved adequate to predict or control the deluge.

This book documents and analyzes the meteorological conditions leading to the torrential rains, the causes and patterns of flooding, the performance of flood control structures in affected areas, the extent of damages, and the effectiveness of the local emergency response and recovery actions. Conclusions and recommendations are drawn from the analyses.

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