Maui Disaster Prep Expo Comes as Hurricane Season Begins

Maui disaster expo event flyer. Image courtesy: County of Maui.

By Maui Now Staff

Maui Civil Defense Agency will host the 2015 Maui County Disaster Preparedness Expo on Saturday, June 6, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center.

Various community agencies will be present with displays and information to help prepare the public, their families and their homes for emergencies and disasters.

Makaʻala, a new Emergency Alert System for Maui County, is being introduced at the Expo. As part of the program, the public is able to select personalized emergency notifications.

County officials say registration for the notification program tripled over a five day period from 500 on Friday, May 29, to 1,500 by Wednesday, June 2, 2015.

The push for Makaʻala registration comes as the second storm system forms in the Pacific Ocean. Hurricane Blanca was a category 4 hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean that has weakened slightly.  At this time Blanca poses no threat to Hawaiʻi and is on track towards Mexico’s southwestern coast. Hurricane Andres which was reported last week has also weakened and is now a tropical storm.

Tropical Storm Iselle wind damage. Photo courtesy NOAA/NWS.

“We were warned that because of El Nino this would be a very active hurricane season,” said Maui County Emergency Management Officer Anna Foust. “This should only encourage people to sign up for our new system so we can keep everyone informed.”