 Rough surf along the coasts of Kauai combined with torrential rainfall to produce widespread coastal flooding . Waves at Port Allen peaked at 35 ft ( 10 @.@ 7 m ) . <unk> plantations were inundated , with losses exceeding US $ 200 @,@ 000 . Infrastructure damage as a result of wave action was spotty but nonetheless amounted to US $ 100 @,@ 000 . The August 1959 rainfall total in <unk> , largely attributed to Dot , measured 8 @.@ 13 in ( 207 mm ) , 6 in ( 150 mm ) in excess of normal . The heavy rainfall caused rivers and streams to swell and <unk> adjacent areas . Despite making landfall as a weak Category 1 hurricane , Dot brought damaging winds inland , with a maximum wind gust of 103 mph ( 166 km / h ) reported at <unk> Light . However , gusts as high as 125 mph ( 200 km / h ) were estimated given the snapping of palm trees . Strong winds damaged hundreds of buildings in the areas of <unk> , <unk> , and <unk> , Hawaii . Extensive losses resulted from the damaging and toppling of <unk> trees . However , of the crops on Kauai , cane suffered the greatest impact with damage figures reaching US $ 2 @.@ 7 million . The toppling of power lines caused power outages across the island ; fallen lines also blocked roads . Water supply to some communities failed due to the lack of electricity . With the exception of emergency radio <unk> , telecommunications on Kauai failed . The damage toll from Dot for the entirety of Hawaiʻi totaled US $ 6 million , making the hurricane the costliest in Hawaiian history before it was surpassed by hurricanes <unk> , <unk> and Iselle in 1982 , 1992 and 2014 , respectively . <unk> for inflation , Dot 's damage figure <unk> US $ 50 million . 
