Weather center on Oahu
benefits Pacific neighbors
A weather-forecasting center in Honolulu has protected lives and property from climate changes and tropical storms triggered by the phenomenon El Nino, officials say.
American Samoa had its worst drought in the 20th century in 1997-98 because of a strong El Nino but suffered no damaging effects, said Abe Malae of the Power Authority there.
Government and tuna cannery layoffs were avoided because advance information from the Pacific ENSO (El Nino and Southern Oscillation) Applications Center allowed decisions to be made way before the drought, he said.
Water conservation was increased and free home repairs were done to repair leaks, among other precautionary actions, he said, Devastating consequences of previous El Ninos were prevented, and "it was such a modest program," he added.
Similar steps were taken throughout the Pacific islands to educate the public about the El Nino, conserve water, repair water systems, increase water storage capacity and obtain generators and replacement parts for pumps.
"Outreach was done before the event, talking to the island people eyeball to eyeball, building credibility," said Jim Weyman, meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service's Honolulu Forecast Office and Central Pacific Hurricane Center director. "With climate information, like normal weather warnings, we can save lives and protect property."
El Ninos are disturbances in the ocean and atmosphere that spawn weather disasters. Weyman said the forecast is "neutral" for an El Nino in the next three to six months.
"Beyond that, there is some uncertainty," he said.
He and Malae were among officials discussing the Pacific ENSO Applications Center yesterday as a three-day regional workshop wrapped up at the East-West Center, attended by scientists, government officials and business representatives from Hawaii, Guam, Palau, the Marshall Islands, American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Eileen Shea, East-West Center climate specialist, said scientists, fishermen, emergency workers, weather forecasters and others began the center 12 years ago to look at the Pacific "as a holistic system."
They felt the islands could benefit from advance forecasts of changing hurricane and typhoon patterns, heavy rainfall, flooding and drought conditions, she said.
In 1994, the University of Hawaii, University of Guam, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Pacific Basin Development Council pooled resources to turn the experiment into an information and forecast system, she said.
Chester Lao, Honolulu Board of Water Supply hydrologist, said the predictions are valuable for resource management and planning by the water agency, such as long-term conservation practices to recover from Hawaii's sustained low rainfall.
Shea said, for example, that long-term climate forecasts could be used to boost tourism by marketing dry, sunny Hawaii weather during an El Nino season that is dumping rains on California and Florida.