ANALYSIS OF THE SITE
in response to climate change
TSUNAMI EVACUATION ZONES
The site is located in the "Larger Danger Zone" for possible tsunamis in the area. When considering site location, choosing an area that was not in a danger zone but was still along the coastline was highly incompatible. Most Hawaiian resorts along the coast take the risk of sitting in a tsunami high-risk area; it's all part of the "Hawaiian Getaway Experience."
WETLANDS
The site has been moved northwest to avoid being in a main wetland area. The original site was set in a future potential wetland zone. In order to avoid damage to the site from increased flooding from increased rainfall and rise in sea levels, the site has been relocated to a spot between wetland areas.
LAND USE
The surrounding land use of the region consists mainly of agriculture. Along the coastline, the main type of land use pertains to urban infrastructure (shops, restaurants, hotels) and residential housing.
COASTAL EROSION
This analysis compares future erosion along the Wailua coastline in increments of 0.5 feet, 1.1Â feet, 2.0 feet, and 3.2 feet. The site has been moved away from the coastline in order to avoid any future potential damage from coastal erosion.
CIRCULATION
The site sits next to the Kuhio Highway, a two-lane highway that separates the resort from the beach. Kuamoo Road, the road that originally ran straight through the site, has been moved to run around the site in order to monopolize the riverfront.
WAVE FLOODING
This analysis looks at potential flooding from high-waves in increments of 0.5 feet, 1.1 feet, 2.0 feet, and 3.2 feet. The site has been moved away from the shoreline to avoid any possible damage from flooding.
ELEVATION
The site is almost completely flat; from the eastern shoreline to the newly routed Kuamoo Road, there is a total elevation increase of 32 feet. The region does not start to increase rapidly until the agricultural lands hit the base of the mountain range near Wailua Falls.
COASTAL HAZARDS ASSESSMENT
The colored areas of this map represent the potential for inundation due to future sea level rise at high tide. These areas denote hydrologically connected areas. Sea level around the island of Kauai is currently rising at an average rate of 1.53mm/year and is expected to continuously rise at an accelerated rate. This date serves as a preliminary look at sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts in and around the site.
SOILS ANALYSIS
The majority of the site is Mokuleia fine sandy loam soil. The Mokuleia series consists of well drained soils that formed in recent alluvium deposited over coral sand. Mokuleia soils are on coastal plains and have slopes of 0 to 2 percent. The mean annual rainfall is about 40 inches and the mean annual temperature is about 74 degrees F. The soil is well drained and consists of very slow runoff; and moderate permeability.
CLIMATE ANALYSIS
This climate analysis is based on the various weather patterns on the island of Kauai during 2017. It takes into account average rainfall, wind speeds, sun patterns, and temperatures in order to compare with the tourism score, which is based off the four data sets. According to the tourism score, the best time of the year to visit the island is between the months of April and June. The analysis combines all provided factors - low rainfall and wind speed, ample amount of sunlight, and moderate temperatures - to calculate a high score of 8.2.
TOURIST TRENDS
Kauai County
HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE
As seen in the graph to the left, there is generally a positive percent change in the rate of hotel occupancy in Kauai County over the last seventeen years. Due to this, there is a greater need for hotel accommodations.
VISITOR EXPENDITURES
As seen in the graph to the left, there is a positive percent change in the amount of visitor expenditures in Kauai County over the last year.
VISITOR ARRIVALS
As seen in the graph to the left, there is a positive percent change in the amount of arrivals by air in Kauai County over the last year.
ENVIRONMENTAL PATTERNS
Wailua Region
AVERAGE MONTHLY RAINFALL
Kauai receives the most amount of rainfall per year compared to other Hawaiian Islands. Rain chances increase as the trade winds blow in from the Pacific Ocean. The coastline can be expected to see about 40 - 60 inches of rain annually on the East Side.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED
The average hourly wind speed in Wailua experiences significant seasonal variation. The windier part of the year runs from June to August, with average wind speeds of 14.6 miles per hour. The calmer time runs from August to June, with an average hourly wind speed of 12.8 miles per hour.
HUMIDITY COMFORT LEVELS
The humidity comfort level is based on the dew point. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.
AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE
Like the air temperature, the water temperatures on the Wailua Coast do not tend to vary immensely. The lowest temperature off the coast of Wailua is 75 degrees, while the warmest temperature reaches 80 degrees. With the warmest temperatures being between August and October, this location makes a very popular spot for tourism at this time.
SUNRISE & SUNSET
The earliest sunrise is at 5:53 AM on June 7, and the latest sunrise is 1 hour, 26 minutes later at 7:18 AM on January 15. The earliest sunset is at 5:52 PM on November 27, and the latest sunset is 1 hour, 32 minutes later at 7:25 PM on July 4. Daylight saving time (DST) is not observed in Wailua during 2018.
HIGH & LOW TEMPERATURES
The temperatures on Kauai don’t tend to vary much. The island is warmest in the summer months (May - October), but reaches its peak temperature between August and September. The lowest temperatures take place in the remainder of the year (November - April), with January being the coldest month.