5,000+ Join Telephone Town Hall on Hurricane, Disaster Preparedness

More than 5,000 residents of Hawaiʻi’s Second Congressional District participated in US Representative Tulsi Gabbard’s interactive “Telephone Town Hall” on hurricane and disaster preparedness Monday evening.

Telephone town hall draws participation from some 5,000+ individuals. PC: Maui Now Graphic. Background image: NOAA/NWS,

The congresswoman was joined by: Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi; Anna Foust of Maui Emergency Management Agency; Elton Ushio of Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency; Talmadge Magno of Hawaiʻi Island Civil Defense Agency; and Melvin Kaku of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management.

Emergency management leaders answered questions from the community, discussed the forecast for the upcoming hurricane season, and reviewed new recommendations that Hawaiʻi residents prepare an “emergency kit” with a minimum of 14 days of food, water and other supplies.

Hurricane season in Hawaiʻi began on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. Forecasters say the 2017 hurricane season is expected to be more active than normal with 5 to 8 tropical cyclones forecast in the Central Pacific.

“Hawaiʻi is the most isolated population in the world, and the importance of being informed and prepared before a disaster hits cannot be overstated. With more than 5,000 participants across our islands listening in and asking questions during our telephone townhall, we discussed issues like keeping pets safe during emergencies, how people with disabilities can get assistance during an evacuation, hurricane home insurance, the status of emergency plans for our limited access rural communities, and proposed federal funding cuts to organizations like FEMA. Mahalo to everyone who took the time to participate in this event by sharing their ideas and concerns, and helping all of us increase our awareness of how to better prepare our families and communities,” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has hosted past telephone townhalls on a variety of topics including dengue fever, the war in Syria, and general updates in Congress, and will host an upcoming telephone town hall on veterans healthcare in Hawaiʻi next month.

Information about preparing for this year’s hurricane season is available online. For county-specific preparedness tips, please use the following resources: County of Hawaiʻi; County of Maui; City and County of Honolulu; and County of Kauaʻi.