On this day of global remembrance for the 2001 World Trade Center tragedy, we also pause to honor another catastrophe that struck September 11, a hurricane that devastated the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1992.

At 1:30 p.m., Hurricane Iniki, a powerful Category 5 storm, made landfall. With sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts over 200, it tore across the island, flattening homes, toppling trees, and altering lives.

Kauai’s Mayor JoAnn Yukimura recalled, “I saw total devastation. It broke my heart.” Writer Trish Moore described the aftermath: “The storm... left the island looking like a crumbled cracker.”

Power and phone service were lost for weeks. Some areas waited 40 days for electricity. The storm caused $2.4 billion in damage and left 80% of homes impacted. Still, the spirit of aloha endured.

Steven Spielberg, on location filming Jurassic Park, weathered the hurricane in a Kauai hotel. “This was a real zinger,” he said. Yet even Hollywood magic couldn’t prepare anyone for nature’s force.

We remember Iniki not just for its destruction, but for the strength it revealed. As Kübler-Ross taught: even devastation brings hidden blessings — lessons of courage, community, and compassion that continue to grow with every sunrise over the Garden Isle.