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"Hurricane Iselle is swirling its way toward the Big Island of Hawaii, where a hurricane warning is in effect \u2014 the first for any of the Hawaiian islands since 1992. The storm is maintaining its strength despite encountering relatively cool ocean waters and strong winds in the middle and upper atmosphere, two factors that ordinarily weaken tropical storms and hurricanes.\nIf it strikes at hurricane intensity, it would become the only hurricane to hit the Big Island since reliable hurricane records began in 1950.\nSee also: Hawaii Braces For Historic Hurricane Iselle\nExperts predict that it will dump more than a foot of rain on the Big Island, and could bring wind gusts approaching 85 mph or greater, especially to the higher elevations of the island. In addition, damaging surf of up to 25 feet in height and a 1-to-3-foot storm surge could cause coastal flooding. The storm is predicted to make landfall near Hilo, Hawaii on Thursday night local time before passing just to the south of Oahu and Maui, where tropical storm warnings are in effect.\n\nMap showing three tropical cyclones lined up near Hawaii, with Hurricane Iselle second from right, and Julio at far right.Image:  http://earth.nullschool.netAssuming the storm evolves as current forecasts show it will, it would set numerous benchmarks in Hawaii's hurricane history. Here are a few.\nThe records Iselle could break\n1. First hurricane for the main islands in 22 years\nIselle would become the first hurricane to make landfall on the main Hawaiian Islands in 22 years, since 1992's devastating Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai.\n2. First ever hurricane for the Big Island\nIselle would be the first hurricane ever to make landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii.\n3. No. 8 (or higher) on list of intense storms to hit Hawaii\nIselle would become just the eighth tropical cyclone of tropical-storm intensity or greater to hit Hawaii. If it hits as a hurricane, it would be only the third hurricane to hit anywhere in the state since modern record-keeping began.\n4. First back-to-back hurricanes or tropical storms to strike the state\nIf Hurricane Julio, which is spinning just two days behind Hurricane Iselle, also strikes Hawaii, it could set a record for the first back-to-back hurricane or tropical storm strikes on the island state on record. (Right now, this looks unlikely to happen, as forecasts take Julio to the north of the islands.)\n5. First year Hawaii has had two hurricanes\nAs the Capital Weather Gang blog reported, the last time two tropical storms passed near Hawaii in the same year was 1983. \"But they were nearly two months apart \u2014 not three DAYS! Two hurricanes have never affected Hawaii in the same year...\"\nAlthough Hawaii sits smack dab in the central Pacific Ocean, which as a whole is the ocean that has the most tropical cyclones on Earth \u2014 hurricanes and typhoons are the same type of storm, just called different things \u2014 landfalling hurricanes striking the Hawaiian Islands are extremely rare. Only seven tropical cyclones of tropical storm intensity or stronger have hit the islands since reliable hurricane records began. \nJust one tropical storm has hit the Big Island from the east, which is where Iselle is approaching from. The only two major hurricanes of Category 3 intensity or stronger, hit the islands from the south, where the water is warmer and upper atmospheric winds tend to be weaker. These two hurricanes both hit Kauai, which lies about 300 miles to the northwest of the Big Island. \nThe last hurricane to hit the islands struck Kauai in 1992. That storm, Hurricane Iniki, devastated the island, causing at least $2 billion in damage. \nBecause no hurricane has ever hit the Big Island, it's unclear what the effects will be. The island has high terrain, including the nearly 14,000 foot Mauna Loa, home to a famous atmospheric science observatory that keeps tabs on global carbon dioxide levels.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/08/07/hurricane-iselle-records-hawaii/>