Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 29, 2023
Hurricane Walaka was the nineteenth named storm and second Category 5 hurricane of the 2018 Pacific hurricane season. As a tropical cyclone, it originated from an area of low pressure that formed around 1,600 mi (2,600 km) south-southeast of Hawaii on September 24, and became a tropical storm on September 29. The system tracked westward and peaked with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a pressure of 921 mbar (27.20 inHg) on October 2, before accelerating northeastward and dissipating on October 7. The storm passed close to Johnston Atoll, from which four scientists were evacuated before the storm hit. East Island in the French Frigate Shoals suffered a direct hit and was destroyed. The storm damaged the nesting grounds for multiple endangered species, and coral reefs in the region suffered considerable damage, displacing the local fish population. Several dozen people were rescued off the southern shore of Oahu as the storm brought high surf to the main Hawaiian Islands. (Full article...)