Hawaii

Giant waves in Hawaii swamp homes, weddings during ‘historic’ swell

Published

2 years ago

July 19, 2022

Giant waves in Hawaii swamp homes, weddings during ‘historic’ swell

Towering waves crashed into properties and companies on Hawaii’s south shores, spilled throughout highways and upended weddings over the weekend.

The big waves – some greater than 20 ft (6 meters) excessive – got here from a mixture of a powerful south swell that peaked Saturday night, significantly excessive tides and rising sea ranges related to local weather change, the Nationwide Climate Service mentioned Monday.

A marriage Saturday night in Kailua-Kona was interrupted when a set of huge waves swamped the occasion, sending tables and chairs crashing towards company.

Sara Ackerman, an writer who grew up in Hawaii and attended the marriage, filmed the waves as they barreled ashore.

“It simply was big,” she mentioned. ”I used to be filming it after which it simply came to visit the wall and simply fully annihilated all of the tables and chairs.”

She mentioned it occurred about 5 minutes earlier than the ceremony was scheduled to start.

“It wasn’t like a life-threatening scenario by any means by any means,” she mentioned. “It was identical to, ‘Oh my gosh … what are we going to do? The place are we going to place the tables?’”

She mentioned they went forward with the ceremony and cleaned up the mess after the newlyweds exchanged vows.

“We had the ceremony and it was lovely, having all of the (sea) spray,” she mentioned. “The ocean was actually wild. So it was nice for the photographs.”

Chris Brenchley, the meteorologist in cost on the Nationwide Climate Service workplace in Honolulu, mentioned a number of components got here collectively to create such big waves.

“Waves over 12 ft or 15 ft, these grow to be extraordinarily large and actually uncommon to have,” he mentioned. “It’s the biggest it’s been in a number of a long time.”

Brenchley mentioned the swell was produced within the South Pacific, the place it is at present the winter season.

“That they had a very sturdy winter storm the place the winds had been targeted immediately in the direction of locations like Samoa after which additional on to the north into Hawaii,” he mentioned.

Remnants of Hurricane Darby handed south of Hawaii however had no main impression on the surf, he mentioned.

Whereas singular occasions like this difficult to pin on to local weather change, Brenchley mentioned the warming planet is taking part in a job.

“Essentially the most direct kind of impression that we are able to use with local weather change is the ocean stage rise. Any time you add simply even small quantities of water, you elevate that sea stage just a bit bit,” he mentioned. “And now these impacts might be exacerbated every time we have now a big storm occasion or a … excessive, excessive tide.”

Most giant summer time swells that come from the south aren’t any larger than about 10 ft (3 meters), which might set off a excessive surf advisory.

“We had some waves that had been reaching 20 ft (6 meters), 20 feet-plus even,” Brenchley mentioned. “That’s getting on the extent of historic.”

Hawaii’s north shores, the place skilled surfers typically compete, normally get a lot bigger waves than different elements of the islands. The predominant swell hits the north shores within the winter and the south shores in the summertime.

Lifeguards and rescue crews throughout the state had a busy weekend.

They performed at the very least 1,960 rescues on the island of Oahu alone on Saturday and Sunday.

Honolulu officers reported one critical damage when a surfer suffered a laceration to the again of his head.

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Hawaii

Last minute shopping at Hawaii Holiday Craft & Gift Fair

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Last minute shopping at Hawaii Holiday Craft & Gift Fair

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – It’s down to the wire for holiday shoppers, with just a few days until Christmas.

For those looking for last minute gifts, the Hawaii Holiday Craft & Gift Fair is happening this weekend at the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall.

More than 250 vendors are selling a variety of locally-made products, from clothing and jewelry to food and crafts.

Fair spokesperson Yasmin Dar joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about the event organized by Sunshine Productions and showcase some of the available products, including scarves from Beads & Things by Kori and candies from the Hawaii Candy Factory, which produces NOMs in local flavors like Banana Lumpia Chocolate Bark, Campfire S’Mores, Peppermint Chocolate Crunch Bark, Li Hing & Lemon Peel Covered Gummies and more.

The fair opens at 10 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. on Sunday. Buy tickets at the Blaisdell Box Office for $7 per person. Military families and children under 7 years of age are free.

More information and a $2 off coupon can be found at HawaiiHolidayFair.com.

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Hawaii

Pacific Century Fellows focus on strengthening Hawaii-Philippines relationship with special visit

Published

9 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Pacific Century Fellows focus on strengthening Hawaii-Philippines relationship with special visit

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Members of a prestigious leadership training program from Hawaii recently traveled to the Philippines on a special visit.

Former Honolulu Mayor and current President/CEO of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association Mufi Hannemann founded the Pacific Century Fellows Program (PCF) in 1996, modeled after the White House Fellows program to empower emerging leaders across the state to solve local challenges.

Last month, this year’s cohort of 30 business and community leaders. along with some PCF alumni, met with Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who lived in Hawaii for 5 years, when his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., was ousted following a nonviolent revolution in 1986 and exiled here.

Marcos Sr. died in Honolulu in 1989, and the family was allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991 and rebuilt their political careers.

The fellows met with various Filipino leaders and discussed ways to boost business opportunities and tourism for both destinations, including more flights to Ilocos Norte, where many Filipinos in Hawaii have roots.

The group visited Ilocos Norte at the invitation of Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc and learned about Hawaii’s strong historic ties to the region.

For more information, visit pacificcenturyfellows.com.

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Hawaii

From scratch to real estate: The Indian family that built an empire in Hawaii

Published

17 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

From scratch to real estate: The Indian family that built an empire in Hawaii

In 1915, Jhamandas Watumull, a 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur, arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, to establish a retail shop for his import business. Along with his partner Dharamdas, he registered the business under the name Watumull & Dharamdas on Hotel Street. The store specialised in selling exotic Eastern goods, including silks, brassware, ivory crafts, and other unique items.

Gulab Watumull’s father, Jhamandas, began the family business in Honolulu in 1915.(Flickr)

Tragedy struck in 1916 when Dharamdas succumbed to cholera. This prompted Jhamandas to invite his brother Gobindram to manage the Honolulu store while he oversaw business operations in Manila. Over the years, the brothers travelled frequently between India and Hawaii, strengthening their enterprise, reported the BBC.

The growth of the Watumull Business

The Watumull brothers renamed the business East India Store after Gobindram took charge in Hawaii. The company grew into a department store with branches across Hawaii and parts of Asia. In 1937, Gobindram constructed the Watumull Building in Waikiki to serve as the company headquarters. By 1957, the business had expanded into a multimillion-dollar empire with 10 stores, apartments, and various commercial properties.

The East India Store played a significant role in popularising the iconic “Aloha shirt.” In 1936, Gobindram’s sister-in-law Elsie Jensen created designs featuring Hawaiian motifs like hibiscus flowers, tropical fish, and gardenias. These designs were handblocked onto silk in Japan and became commercially successful. The shirts were embraced by tourists and even Hollywood stars like Loretta Young and Lana Turner.

A shift toward real estate

As Hawaii became a global tourist destination, the Watumulls diversified their business. They purchased the Royal Hawaiian Manufacturing Company and introduced matching family Aloha wear. Over time, the company transitioned into real estate, with its last retail store closing in 2020. In 2023, Watumull Properties acquired a major marketplace spanning over 205,000 square feet.

The Watumull brothers faced significant challenges due to restrictive U.S. immigration laws. Gobindram’s wife, Ellen Jensen, lost her citizenship under the Cable Act after marrying him in 1922. She later regained it in 1931 after advocating for legal reforms. Gobindram became a U.S. citizen in 1946 following a change in naturalisation laws for Indians. Jhamandas obtained citizenship in 1961 after permanently relocating to Hawaii.

The Watumull family contributed significantly to education, arts, and Indian independence. Gobindram supported India’s freedom movement and hosted prominent leaders in his Los Angeles home. The family’s foundation sponsored lectures by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the U.S. and facilitated the creation of India’s first birth control clinics. They also funded numerous educational and cultural programs in Hawaii and India.

The Watumull family remains deeply rooted in Hawaii, where their name is synonymous with philanthropy and progress. JD Watumull, the current president of the family’s company, emphasised their commitment to the Hawaiian Islands, stating, “The Hawaiian Islands continue to be our family’s focus today and in the future.”

Also read: Chhattisgarh couple marries by taking an oath on Indian constitution instead of saat pheras: report

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