Officials to conduct Makani Pāhili hurricane exercise through May 12

The State of Hawaiʻi is in the midst of the annual Makani Pāhili exercise which runs from May 4-12, to test statewide hurricane preparedness and response capabilities.

Events included an activation exercise May 4 and 5 to test the State Emergency Operations Center and other systems for the approach and impact of the simulated “Hurricane Makani of 2023.”

The training and exercise effort is coordinated by the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and includes participation by other state government agencies, county emergency managers, the National Weather Service, and other federal, private and nonprofit partners.

Additional activities will test key elements of the state’s response to a simulated major hurricane, including the activation of the state and county emergency operations centers. 

As part of the exercise, the State Emergency Operations Center inside Diamond Head crater in Honolulu was activated on May 4 and 5.

Events associated with the activation are not expected to impact the public, but there is a possibility that individuals monitoring radio broadcasts on certain channels may hear radio chatter by participating HAM Radio operators or other participants.

Participants have been instructed to ensure that Makani Pāhili communications include the phrase “Exercise, exercise, exercise” to reduce the risk of confusion with a real emergency. 

A safety officer is on hand to monitor activities. In the event of an injury during the simulation or a real-world emergency, the exercise will be halted so that emergency workers can respond to the real incident.