Hurricane Iniki

Hurricane Iniki

Today we are going back to a time when the people of Kauai needed to band together, lift each other up, and overcome a major challenge.  On September 11th, 1992, Hurricane Iniki, the most powerful Hurricane to strike the Hawaiian Islands in recorded history, hit Kauai directly leaving a trail of total devastation behind.  It would take many years for the island to recover.  Thousands of people were left homeless, businesses were destroyed, roads were wiped out, crops were lost, and tourism took a major hit.

Captain Sherwin (Kaleo) Perez, currently acting Assistant Chief of the Administrative and Technical Bureau of the Kauai Police Department, was an officer on duty  when it hit, and one of the people who worked hard to ensure everyone’s safety.  Today we are going to hear his story, from his point of view, and from a police officer’s point point of view, of what it was like to be on Kauai when Hurricane Iniki hit and through the rebuilding process afterward.

A special thanks to all members of The Kauai Police Department, who put themselves on the line every day to ensure the island is safe for everyone.

As discussed in the interview, below is a link to some dramatic hurricane footage: