Rafi Letzer at LiveScience explains that it’s all about wind and luck. The Pacific Ocean is home to some of the worst tropical cyclones ever recorded. In the western half of the Pacific, they are called typhoons instead of hurricanes and tend to be bigger and badder than the storms that plague the Americas.

At this time there are currently no tropical storms in the eastern or central Pacific Ocean that pose a threat to Hawaii within the next five days. Throughout hurricane season, residents of Hawaii are advised to keep informed and to make sure they have a family plan and emergency kit ready (see “What can I do?” below).

Hurricanes don’t make landfall in Hawaii or even make it to the Hawaii waters very often. Only two hurricanes in recorded history have made landfall in Hawaii: Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and Hurricane Dot in 1959.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – University of Hawaii researchers say there is a 10 percent chance a large earthquake could hit the Aleutian Islands in the next 50 years and generate a devastating tsunami that could leave Hawaii under water. That’s three times bigger than the tsunami that wiped out Hilo in 1946.

The reality of a tsunami hitting NYC is pretty slim, mostly because (for reasons you can read about here) the Atlantic is not prone to earthquakes. Short version: If there is a tsunami coming get on a tall roof somewhere, presuming whatever earthquake initiated the tsunami didn’t flatten New York first.

The most destructive tsunami in Hawaii occurred on April 1, 1946 after an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter Scale struck the ocean floor off the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Waves reportedly traveled across the ocean at 500 miles an hour and measured 55 feet high, crest to trough, according to the USGS.

Natural Disasters in Hawaii

• Flash Floods.
• Hurricanes.
• Tsunamis.
• Earthquakes.

Thus, in any given year, there is a 0.1 percent chance of it happening – the same probability as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake that struck Japan, according to Gerald Fryer, a geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.

1720 feet

On April 1, 1946, a 10-foot wall of water surged onto the Island of Hawai’i after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake near the Aleutian Islands. The tsunami killed over 170 people, did tens of millions of dollars in damage, and is known as the most destructive tsunami in recent Hawaiian history.

Hawaii, no surprise to those who live here, continues to be ranked as one of the best places to live. Hawaii, per this latest report by financial news and opinion website 247wallst.com, ranks as the fourth best state to live in in the country.

The Hula Costume. The most recognizable traditional Hawaiian costume, it is ritualistically one of the most important. The basic costume was a lei, a pa’u skirt or grass skirt, and ankle bracelets made of whalebone or dog’s teeth.