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Risk to U.S. Pacific Islands Hawaii,the U.S territories of Guam and American Samoa,and the U.S.Affiliated Pacific Islands are subject to tropical cyclones. Hurricane Iniki struck Kauai,Hawaii,on September 11, 1992,resulting in $2.5 billion in damage. During the same year,Guam was battered by five typhoons. On December 16, 1997,Guam was hit by Super Typhoon Paka,which produced over$520 million in damage. In 2009,Hurricane Neki passed just to the east of French Frigate Shoals in the Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument(commonly referred to as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands)and necessitated the evacuation of remote research camps. Pacific Islands are especially vulnerable to hurricane strikes as mass evacuation options off each island are not feasible or practical. Residents and visitors will need to find shelter on island. In the wake of a hurricane landfall,damage to harbors and airports will also prevent outside aid from reaching the islands in the short term. If a hurricane threatens Hawaii,please follow all instructions from Civil Defense and Emergency Management officials. Trackin g the Storm Satellite Several different types of weather satellites hover above or orbit the earth and provide images and other important data related to tropical cyclones. Satellite imagery is a valuable tool and assists in providing X estimates of location,size,and intensity of a tropical cylone and its =ri surrounding environment. For Pacific Islands,satellite is a critical tool used to observe all types of weather phenomena over the open ocean, where conventional land-based weather observations are unavailable. Prior to 1960,when the very first weather satellite was launched, many tropical cyclones and other storms across the vast pacific went unnoticed,unless a ship happened to be in the area. Modern satellites have the ability to"see"through cloud cover to measure surface winds 6eostationary Operational EnvironmenalSotellite/NOAA over the ocean,wave heights,and sea surface temperature. All of this data are important resources used to make more accurate forecasts. Reconnaissance Aircraft "Hurricane Hunter"aircraft operated by the U.S.Air Force Reserve and NOAA provide critical information for the Central Pacific Hurricane Center and National Hurricane Center. Pilots fly the planes into the core of a hurricane to measure wind,pressure,temperature and humidity as well as to provide an accurate location of the center of the hurricane. NOAA also operates a high-altitude aircraft which = takes observations of the environment surrounding a hurricane. This information assists in track and intensity forecasts. WC-130H,Hurricane Hunters/U.S.Airforce Reserve 11