Gage at Windy Maalaea Harbor to be Removed

By Wendy Osher

The wind gage atop a 30-foot tower at Maalaea Harbor will be taken down on Monday, January 11, 2011. The removal is necessary to facilitate construction of the new Seaflight building nearby.

Advanced mapping technology was created by the Pacific Disaster Center and provided to firefighters battling a 6,200-acre blaze in Maalaea in June of 2010. Wind was an ongoing factor during the operation as firefighters used projections to determine strategic operations and impact on the public. Image courtesy PDC.

The old building is being demolished and will be replaced with a new two-story structure.

The demolition will result in an extended interruption of wind observations at the often windy Maalaea Bay location until a new site is found.

The National Weather Service is actively seeking a new location in the vicinity. In the interim, wind observations at the site will cease.

The gage has been used for years to monitor winds speed and direction during large scale fire incidents, in emergency response efforts, in site planning for area projects, and for daily weather forecasts.