A hurricane watch was issued for Kauai early on September 11 and was upgraded to a hurricane warning later that day. Prior to Iniki's arrival in Kauai, 8,000 people were housed in shelters, most of whom remembered Hurricane Iwa 10 years prior. Rather than sending tourists to public shelters, two major hotels kept their occupants in the buildings during the storm's passage. During the evacuation of the island, people left days before to family, friends or shelters. Because schools were cancelled, traffic was light and evacuation was well-executed.