| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2009. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Statement |
Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page R1
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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
OCR for page R2
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 90-63994
International Standard Book Number 0-309-04433-2
A limited number of copies of this report are available from:
Committee on Natural Disasters, HA 286
National Research Council
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20418
202/334-3312
Additional copies are available for sale from:
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20418 202/334-3313 1-800-624-6242
Printed in the United States of America
S-285
OCR for page R3
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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
OCR for page R4
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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.
OCR for page R5
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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
OCR for page R6
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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.
OCR for page R7
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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
OCR for page R8
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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
OCR for page R9
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
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.
OCR for page R10
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
This page in the original is blank.
OCR for page R11
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
1
INTRODUCTION
7
Floods as Natural Disasters
7
Expected Level of Flood Protection
7
2
MANAGEMENT OF THE DISASTER EVENT
9
Emergency Warning Procedures
9
The Predisaster Period
10
The New Year's Eve Storm
12
Emergency Management and Hazard-Mitigation Concerns
16
3
METEOROLOGY
18
Introduction
18
Meteorological Conditions on December 31, 1987
19
Radar and Sounding Analysis
20
Rainfall Distribution
24
Rainfall Recurrence Intervals
27
A Model of the New Year's Eve Storm
30
Wind Damage
32
4
HYDROLOGY AND HYDRAULICS
33
Stream Runoff Data and Recurrence Intervals
33
Kawainui Marsh Flooding
35
Sediment, Debris, and Landslides from the Storm
40
Storm Drainage Standards
43
Postdisaster Studies
50
OCR for page R12
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
5
FLOODPLAIN MAPPING
51
Floodplain Management on Oahu
52
Damage from the New Year's Eve Flood Event
52
6
LIFELINES
55
Transportation and Roads
55
Air Transportation
56
Electric Power
56
Communications
56
Water Supply
57
Sewer Systems
57
Kahena Street
57
7
DISASTER RECOVERY
58
The Recovery Period
58
The Emergence of Conflict
60
8
CONCLUSIONS
62
Weather Forecast and Storm Warning Performance
62
Cause of the Flood Event
63
Emergency Response and Initial Recovery
64
Floodplain Management
65
9
RECOMMENDATIONS
66
Meteorology
66
Hydrology
67
The Warning System
67
Floodplain Management and the Flood Insurance Program
68
REFERENCES
70
OCR for page R13
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii December 31, 1987–January 1, 1988
The New Year's Eve Flood on Oahu, Hawaii
December 31, 1987 — January 1, 1988
Items in cart [0]
