LIHUE — After unprecedented rains caused flooding and landslides in April, the Hawaii Department of Health’s Kauai District Health Office conducted an islandwide community assessment for public health emergency response (CASPER) in July.
The preliminary findings are in.
“We learned that further action is needed to make our residents more resilient to hurricanes and other emergencies, especially when it comes to preparing emergency kits with a 14-day supply of food, water and prescription medication,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kauai District Health Officer.
The goal of the assessment was to determine resident preparedness, evacuation plans, health-related needs for natural disasters, and impact from the April flood.
According to the findings, 91 percent answered no to, “Have you or anyone in your household experienced emotional distress related to the April flood on Kauai or the ongoing volcanic eruption on the Big Island?”
Eighty-nine percent answered no to, “Was your household affected by the historic flood in April?”
Regarding emergency plans and evacuation plans, 91 percent said they had enough nonperishable food for the next three days, but only 41 percent said they had enough for 14 days.
Other responses:
• 20 percent said they had enough drinking water for 14 days.
• 79 percent said they had an emergency supply kit.
• 17 percent said they lacked time to put together emergency supplies.
• 15 percent said the main barrier that might prevent their household from evacuating if asked to do so would be concern about leaving their property.
Survey teams collected demographic information about Kauai residents, their health status, preparedness levels, and evacuation plans that will help to inform state and county emergency response plans as well as enable the Department of Health to best meet the community’s health needs post-disaster.
Teams conducted household surveys from July 20 through July 23, at systematically selected homes within 30 randomly selected census blocks.
Survey teams completed a total of 190 interviews with local residents. Responses are confidential, and survey teams did not collect names or addresses. Survey teams were comprised of DOH staff with support from the Kauai Emergency Management Agency, Kauai Medical Reserve Corps and the American Red Cross.
“Through this effort, more than 50 DOH staff, partners, and vetted community volunteers have been trained on the CASPER methodology and door-to-door assessments,” Berreman said. “The Kauai District Health office is excited to have developed this rapid-needs assessment capability on island to conduct future surveys.”
Preliminary findings are available at health.hawaii.gov/kauai/
