After Tropical Storm Iselle and Hurricane Ana, the Big Island is still experiencing the impact of the lava flow from Kilauea. Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency has a good handle on what is presently occurring with the lava flow.

The first home on the Big Island was burned in the lava flow on Monday, November 10, 2014. Other homes do not appear to be in danger at the present time. The lava is moving to the northeast, and all the county can do is continue to monitor and keep the public informed. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is in Hawaii after two declarations for public assistance were made for Tropical Storm Iselle and the Puna district lava flow.

West Hawaii Today reports that full access has been restored to Highway 130 with road blocks removed. The article goes on to say that Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and American Red Cross volunteers distributed "evacuation notice flyers" when visiting with Pahoa Village Road and Apaa Street residents on Wednesday evening.  An assessment of needs was completed and residents were alerted to prepare to leave once they are threatened by the lava flow.

Mahalo to Darryl Oliveira and the staff of the County Civil Defense Agency for their continued effort and support for the people of the Puna, as well as to all of the first responders assisting in the recovery effort related to damage from Tropical Storm Iselle, Hurricane Ana and the lava flow.

A website to visit for updates on the lava flow is at: http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm.

The City and County of Honolulu invites Oahu residents to view the new Extreme Tsunami Evacuation Zone maps at workshops around the island beginning on November 17, 2014 and ending on December 18, 2014. These maps represent an unlikely worse case scenario and do not replace the current standard tsunami evacuation maps. Rather, the maps add a second evacuation zone for an Extreme Tsunami event (Magnitude 9+ earthquake and tsunami).

Newly released scientific and geological information suggests that sometime in the past 500 years, a massive 9.0 earthquake in the eastern Aleutian Trench may have generated a tsunami that far exceeded the inundations known to have occurred during tsunami events throughout recorded history in Hawaii.  An event of this magnitude, referred to as an Extreme Tsunami, may occur once every thousand years.
 
In response to these findings, the city, in conjunction with state, federal, and non-government stakeholders, have developed a new set of Oahu Extreme Tsunami Evacuation Zone maps, refuge areas, and evacuation routes to complement the current tsunami evacuation maps.
 
Seventeen outreach workshops will be held in coastal communities around Oahu this month and next. Each workshop is designed specifically for that particular community. If you have a disability, you are urged to attend to provide feedback regarding accessibility of the maps. Your feedback and questions make a difference.

Representatives from the city's Department of Emergency Management (DEM) will be on hand to present the new maps, discuss the implications for Oahu residents, and answer questions. To review the maps prior to the community meeting visit the DEM website at:
http://www.honolulu.gov/cms-dem-menu/site-dem-sitearticles/18308-draft-etez-maps.html.

The November 13, 2014 issue of Individual and Community Preparedness e-Brief included an article on Pet Care During Disasters. The excerpt below provides additional information about "pet-friendly" shelters in Hawaii.

When preparing for a disaster and you have a pet, you need to remember to prepare your kit as well as one for your pet or service animal. FEMA has a brochure that includes information about how to prepare for your pet or service animal. A copy of the FEMA brochure can be found at http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1390846777239-dc08e309debe561d866b05ac84daf1ee/pets_2014.pdf.

Some immediate things you can do to prepare your service animals for a disaster include:

• Take a current photo of your pet for identification purposes;
• Have a pet carrier, leash or harness so your pet can't escape if panicked; and
• Make sure identification tags are current and securely fastened to your pet's collar.

If you need to evacuate from your home, take your pet with you. If left behind, they may escape, get lost, or not be able to survive in the disaster. Locate a shelter near your home that is "pet-friendly." Shelter sites statewide are located at: http://www.honolulu.gov/rep/site/dem/dem_docs/hurricane%20list/2013_Hurr_Evac_Shelters.pdf. Look for the name of a shelter in your community and if it has an icon of a green paw print, that indicates a "pet-friendly" shelter. During a disaster you must listen to the announcements on the radio and television to find out which shelter is open. Because a site is listed does not mean it will be open during the disaster when you need to evacuate from your home. 

 

If a shelter is designated as "pet-friendly" that means you can bring your pet in a carrier and leave your pet in a separate section of the shelter. People stay in one area of the shelter and pets stay in another. If you have a service animal, the service animal must be house broken and under your control. A service animal is allowed to stay in the shelter with you. You have that right, because you are a person with a disability.

 

If you have any questions or would like a copy of the DCAB list of emergency supplies to pack for yourself as a person with a disability, someone else in your family who has a disability, and/or your service animal, contact Debbie Jackson at (808) 586-8121 and the brochure will be made available to you. 

Mahalo to Chris Floyd who sent DCAB a link to the Just in Time Disaster Training Library. This library has more than 1,700 disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery training videos which are free to watch.

Contact Information:                                                                      

 

919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 101
Honolulu, HI 96814

FAX: (808) 586-8129
E-mail:  DCAB General Delivery

Website: DCAB Home Page

Call toll free from Neighbor Islands:

County of Hawaii:  (808) 974-4000, ext. 6-8121#
County of Kauai:   (808) 274-3141, ext. 6-8121#
County of Maui:    (808) 984-2400, ext. 6-8121#

Molokai & Lanai:   1-800-468-4644, ext. 6-8121#