VIDEO: Maui Mayor Outlines Contingency Plan as Flossie Nears

Mayor Arakawa discusses contingency plans with media as Flossie approaches. Photo by Wendy Osher.

[flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDOmeWKIrVE /] By Wendy Osher

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa outline contingency plans that are being implemented as Tropical Storm Flossie nears the Hawaiian Islands and Maui County.

In an afternoon interview fronting the County Building in Wailuku, the Mayor advised the public to take precautions now to assure the protection of life and property.

“Any areas that got flooded out last time should anticipate that the rains will be heavy and they should take precautions against similar flood outs,” said Mayor Arakawa.

According to the Mayor, the county has been making storm preparations since Saturday afternoon, and working on the situation for over 24 hours now.

“Officially, as of 7 a.m. (on Sunday, July 28, 2013), our Emergency Operations Center was activated.  At 11 p.m. last night (Saturday) we sent out a warning to all of our community members that they should be prepared for high wind and to be looking at heavy rains,” said Mayor Arakawa.

“As Flossie-2 makes its way toward us, we’re anticipating that tomorrow morning we should start seeing the major effects of it,” said the Mayor.  “I want to make sure and stress to everyone that this is going to be a very troubling time whereby we don’t want everybody out trying to fill up gas, and not be prepared.  If you can, have your bottled water ready, your emergency kits ready; make sure that you have sufficient supplies at home,” he said.

Mayor Arakawa discusses contingency plans as Flossie nears. Photo by Wendy Osher.

“The durration will probably not be very long.  You’re looking at somewhere under a day, but none-the-less, that is not a certainty.  The conditions that we are looking at (are) probable rains in excess of 6 to 10 inches are possible.  We’re looking at sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts of 60 mph; and surf of 12 to 18 feet.”

“We’re very conerned here on Maui because unlike most storms that come through, which are buffered by the Big Island, this storm pattern is starting to trend sort of around the Big Island… and it will focus in on Maui County,” said Mayor Arakawa.

***The full content of his briefing is contained in the video link above.