LIHUE — In the wake of a false missile threat, devastating floods and landslides on Kauai and erupting lava on Hawaii Island, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is updating the state’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The document sets out strategies for responding to natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, floods, dam failure, high surf and coastal erosion.
Federal regulations require states to review and update their Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plans at least once every five years, which makes Hawaii due for another update.
Drought and wildfires, volcanic hazards, infectious diseases and hurricanes are all included in the 2013 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. The state is looking for community input for the 2018 version.
HI-EMA representatives plan to get that input through statewide open houses through the month of July, including a Tuesday meeting at the Moikeha Conference Room in Lihue from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“HI-EMA’s open houses will give the public an opportunity to hear about the planning process and draft findings to date as they relate to natural hazards which may pose risk to the state of Hawaii,” HI-EMA officials said in a news release.
Participants also will have the chance to ask HI-EMA representatives questions about the proposed update.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation is still doing road work and slope stabilizing projects on Kuhio Highway from Waikoko to Wainiha after April rains flooded the road. Access is still limited to local traffic.
On June 19, HDOT announced the revised cost estimate for the emergency flood repairs on Kuhio Highway and the upgrade of the Waikoko, Waipa and Waioli bridges to be $80 million.
HDOT doesn’t expect emergency repairs to be completed and the road opened until October.
Meanwhile, the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report anticipates a 3.2-foot sea level rise by the year 2100, with a potential of reaching that level by 2060.
Part of the HI-EMA Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan addresses sea level rise and coastal erosion and how it will impact businesses and homes in the near future.
The meetings land about a month into Hawaii’s hurricane season. Last week, forecasters with the National Weather Service said although it’s quiet now, there’s a chance for more activity toward November.
“There’s a lot tied in with whether El Nino develops later this year,” said NWS forecaster John Bravender. “When we put the outlook out in May, we had a potential for an El Nino to develop and this past month’s outlook has it more likely as well.”
Bravender said the state is currently in an “El Nino watch,” which means an El Nino might form within the next six months.
El Nino’s warmer waters tend to birth more hurricanes and tropical storms. “That would point toward a more active season, especially late in the year,” Bravender said.
The first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season was Alberto, which developed south of Mexico in late May. Tropical Storm Daniel developed off the coast of Mexico as well, but weakened to a depression last week.
The state needs a plan of action in the event that a hurricane does hit the islands, though. That’s the goal of the update to the Hawaii State Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Public comments can be submitted at: bit.ly/2KCJsxw
Visitors should be strongly encouraged, and given incentive, to install the emergency warning system on their smartphones while visiting the islands. They require more detailed instruction than the Kama’ainas who already know the drill.