Federal, state and Hawaii County agencies, along with private entities, met Thursday at the Civil Defense Agency’s Emergency Operations Center in Hilo for an orientation briefing about Hurricane Douglas.
Mayor Harry Kim said the session was aimed at getting staff familiar with the details about the hurricane, which was expected to cross the 140-degree longitude boundary into the Central Pacific on Thursday evening.
The county urged residents to make sure they are prepared. For further information, visit Civil Defense’s web page on emergency preparedness at www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/civil-defense/emergency-preparedness.
Civil Defense will be on 24-hour duty starting Saturday — or sooner, if necessary — to keep round-the-clock watch of the hurricane.
Gov. David Ige also urged residents to prepare now to avoid long lines at gas stations, grocery stores and ATMs.
“Hurricane season brings the very real threat of high winds, rain, storm surge and potential flooding to the Hawaiian Islands, and Hurricane Douglas could bring significant impacts even if it doesn’t hit us directly,” Ige said in a written statement. “I urge Hawaii’s residents and businesses to prepare now. Make an emergency plan, talk about it with your families and employees, and gather supplies to ensure that our communities are resilient.”
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said residents’ emergency kits should include a minimum of 14 days of food, water and other essentials, but also should include face masks and hand sanitizer to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We advocate for a 14-day recommendation because of Hawaii’s location in the Pacific during a disaster,” said Luke Meyers, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency administrator. “Everyone who plans ahead and prepares an emergency kit helps not only themselves, but they also help their entire community deal with a disaster.”
The COVID-19 pandemic also poses an additional challenge during a hurricane: the issue of shelter.
“We’ll be managing both incidents at the same time, but we urge residents to take into account that due to the necessary physical distancing measures put into place by the pandemic, shelters will not be able to operate at their usual capacity. Occupancy in shelters will be lower,” Meyers said.
The state agency recommends residents and visitors take the following actions in preparation for a possible hurricane or tropical cyclone.
• Know if your home is in an inundation zone or flood zone or is susceptible to high winds and other hazards.
• Sign up for local notification alerts.
• Talk with family members and develop a clear understanding of what you will do if a hurricane or tropical storm threatens, and prepare an action plan that includes details such as whether your family intends to shelter in place or go to a friend’s or relative’s house.
• Build an emergency kit containing up to 14 days of food, water, medicine and other personal hygiene including masks and hand sanitizers.
• Assess and consider investing in flood insurance.
• Consider retrofitting homes or investing in hurricane clips.
