#Natural Disaster

The public is invited to attend the Maui Emergency Management Agency Disaster Preparedness Expo on Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului.

With just nine days to go until the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the federal government, US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate Floor to call on lawmakers in Congress to pass additional disaster relief funding as part of an appropriations bill.

Cook said the meeting is a collaboration with county departments and other agencies to provide South Maui residents with information regarding fire mitigation efforts, emergency management and impacts to the local economy.

Less than one-third (29%) of those surveyed have yet to create a comprehensive emergency plan for natural disasters, while just 1 in 10 have embraced modern tools such as disaster-related apps or text notifications from official national disaster resource agencies. And only 10% of older adults follow national disaster resource organizations on social media such as FEMA, American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

US Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) joined colleagues in introducing legislation aimed at improving the infrastructure at airports to make them more resilient to severe weather and natural disaster events.

The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act would strengthen the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) disaster recovery grants for states, local governments and tribes. It would also improve coordination at the federal level by establishing an office within HUD that would be devoted to disaster recovery and resilient communities.

The new program would be automatically triggered and help ensure that families and individuals who have been forced from their home or are at risk of losing their home as a result of a natural or economic disaster have immediate access to adequate housing. 

Project Kōkua for Kaua‘i & Hawaiʻi Island will take place at Maui Tropical Plantation (Grand View Lawn) on Sunday, July 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

On April 12, the US Drought Monitor reported that 98.3% of the state was abnormally dry or drier. Maui and Kalawao counties were designated as a natural disaster area on April 20, 2016, making all qualified farm operators in the locations eligible for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center expects a below normal season with two to three tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific this year.  An average season has four or five tropical cyclones, which includes tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.  Despite the outlook for less activity, forecasters remind the public to take each tropical system seriously.  […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Hawaii County in Hawaii as a natural disaster area due to losses caused by volcanic emissions that began Jan. 1, 2010. “President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to the cut flower and fresh produce industry, and we want to help,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom […]

Liberty Dialysis-Hawaii today broke ground for a 250 kilowatt emergency generator system for the Maui Dialysis Facility, designed to assure patients throughout Maui Nui have access to life-preserving services in the event of a natural disaster. It fulfills one patient’s appeal after a severe storm battered Maui on Dec. 5, 2007, knocking down power lines […]

Farmers who suffered from drought conditions in Hawaii are among the list of jurisdictions that could qualify for federal funding. $88,000 in federal funds is being made available to Hawaii farmers and ranchers to help repair damages caused by natural disasters in 2010.  The funding is part of a larger $12 million appropriation to 14 […]

Governor Linda Lingle today proclaimed April as Tsunami Awareness month, announcing educational activities on Oahu, Molokai and the Big Island. “Hawai‘i is fortunate that the February 8.8 earthquake in Chile did not produce destructive waves in our islands,” said Lingle.  “The potential threat of a tsunami provided an opportunity to test our warning system and […]

The County of Maui spent an estimated $113,895 in costs related to the tsunami warning issued on February 27, 2010. Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares said,”When we’re faced with the imminent threat of a natural disaster, we take immediate steps to protect the public’s safety.” “In situations like these, one life lost is one life too […]