Hawaii is getting ready for a rare hurricane to hit

Hawaii residents are preparing for some unusual weather in the area -- a potential hurricane ready to make landfall this week.

Tropical storm Kilo is expected to strengthen throughout the coming week and could make landfall as a category two hurricane by Thursday.

"The water temperature? Record warm. Not just warm. Record warm," The Weather Chanel reports.
Kilo could be the first significant hurricane to hit the island directly in more than 20 years.

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The worst hurricane Hawaii has ever seen was Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

Iniki hit Kaua'i as a category 4. It formed as a tropical depression south of Hawaii but eventually curled into a strong hurricane before making landfall. It caused six deaths and $2 billion in damages.

And Kilo is taking a very similar path as Iniki.

Kilo isn't expected to hit with quite as much force, but it could still take a toll on the island.

Just a year ago, Hurricane Iselle weakened to a tropical storm when hit the Big Island, but it still caused $66 million in damage. Its winds hovered around 40 miles per hour.

Early images of Hurricane Iselle:

Current projections for Kilo say the hurricane could bring winds of around 100 miles per hour if it connects with Hawaii.

And for an such a popular tourist destination, preparation will be key.

"We just never let our guard down. We're very prepared from a supplies standpoint," Katy Britzmann of the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa told KHNL.

As The Weather Channel explains, Kilo's current trajectory from the south on up provides ideal conditions for a strong hit. "Sea-surface temperatures are typically warmer over this farther south trajectory. Any south or southwest wind aloft would steer a hurricane toward the island chain."

The storm is still hundreds of miles out from Hawaii so there's a chance it could miss impacting the island.

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