Robert Ballard, science and operations officer at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, said the 2018 season underscores the mantra emergency officials have been saying all year: Just because a hurricane doesn’t make a direct hit, doesn’t mean it can’t cause major damage. Hurricanes and tropical storms this year caused widespread flooding on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai, and strong winds from a hurricane were blamed on fanning a destructive blaze.