Ask Ellen: Why are direct hurricane hits on the Hawaiian Islands so rare?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Hurricanes have been known to hit Hawaii in the past, but direct hits are relatively rare. This week, Hurricane Kiko is expected to pass more than 100 miles north of the state.

That's usually the case. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there have only been three direct landfalls of the eyewall of a hurricane on the islands. What's more, there have only been four close passes of a major hurricane within 50 miles of the chain since the 1950s. There are a few reasons for this trend.

Most of the storm tracks directly over Hawaii are of tropical storm strength or less. There are a few key reasons for this. The first is that water temperatures are much cooler around the islands than around Mexico, so as a storm approaches from the ea