Hurricane Ioke
| Typhoon (JMA scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Hurricane Ioke near peak intensity on August 24
|
|
| Formed | August 20, 2006 |
| Dissipated | September 12, 2006 |
| (Extratropical after September 7) | |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 195 km/h (120 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 915 hPa (mbar); 27.02 inHg (Record low in the Central Pacific) |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | $88 million (2006 USD) |
| Areas affected | Johnston Atoll, Wake Island, Minamitorishima, Southern Alaska |
| Part of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season and the 2006 Pacific typhoon season | |
Hurricane Ioke, also referred to as Typhoon Ioke, was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Central Pacific. The first storm to form in the Central Pacific in the 2006 Pacific hurricane season, Ioke was a record breaking, long-lived and extremely powerful storm that traversed the Pacific for 17 days, reaching the equivalent of Category 5 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale three times.
The cyclone developed in the Intertropical Convergence Zone on August 20 far to the south of Hawaii. Encountering warm waters, little wind shear, and well-defined outflow, Ioke intensified from a tropical depression to Category 4 status within 48 hours. Late on August 22 it rapidly weakened to Category 2 status before crossing over Johnston Atoll. Two days later favorable conditions again allowed for rapid strengthening, and Ioke attained Category 5 status on August 25 before crossing the International Date Line. As it continued westward its intensity fluctuated, and on August 31 it passed near Wake Island with winds of 155 mph (249 km/h). Ioke gradually weakened as it turned northwestward and northward, and by September 6 it had transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. The remnants of Ioke accelerated northeastward and ultimately crossed into Alaska.
Ioke did not affect any permanently populated areas in the Central Pacific or Western Pacific basins as a hurricane or a typhoon. A crew of 12 people rode out the hurricane in a hurricane-proof bunker on Johnston Atoll; the crew estimated winds reached over 100 mph (160 km/h), which damaged trees on the island but did not impact the island's bird population. The typhoon left moderate damage on Wake Island totaling $88 million (2006 USD), including blown off roofs and damaged buildings, though the infrastructure of the island was left intact; all military personnel were evacuated from the island. Later, the extratropical remnants of Ioke produced a severe storm surge along the Alaskan coastline, causing beach erosion.
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