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Manoa Valley Coconut Wireless Training Session – Saturday October 5th

Be Ready Manoa, AARP, and Manoa Valley Church have partnered and will be holding a FREE training session to learn how to use a walkie-talkie in the event traditional channels of communication following a disaster like a hurricane are unavailable. The training will be held on Saturday, October 5, from 9-11 am at the Manoa Valley Church. Manoa residents who complete the training will receive a FREE walkie talkie and become part of a ‘coconut wireless’ communication network for our community. Please sign-up by emailing info@bereadymanoa.org. Mahalo to AARP for donating the walkie-talkies and to the Manoa Valley Church for allowing us to hold the training at their facility.

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Posted in Events.


Preparing Your Home For the Future Webinar Now Available Online

The ‘Preparing Your Home For the Future Webinar’ is available online via the youtube link below. Dennis Hwang, a Coastal Hazard Mitigation Specialist with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant, provided a lot of great information to better understand the hazards of a hurricane and what you can do to retro-fit your home in preparation of a hurricane. It is too late when a tropical cyclone forms – so the best time to get prepared is right now since it has been fairly quiet in the East and Central Pacific zones. 

https://youtu.be/q3d0n9NZA5s 

Thanks to Cindy Knapman of UH Sea Grant Communications for editing and posting the webinar. Thanks also to Hal Richman for helping to arrange the webinar.

Download a copy of the Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards here: Homeowner’s Handbook

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Posted in Events.


Hawaii’s Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities Presentation by HIEMA

David Lopez, newly appointed executive officer of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) recently presented an overview of Hawaii’s Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities. The YouTube video can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/YkcqYPIWJAU

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Posted in Hurricane.


8/1/2019 Be Ready Manoa Workshop on Fire Safety

The Powerpoint presentation that was given by Irvin Yoshino can be found on our website under ‘Useful Links – Documents’

The following notes were summarized by volunteer Helen Nakano: Given all of the deadly fires recently, Be Ready Manoa provided and had Fire Inspector Daryl Liu give a presentation that was most enlightening and very valuable!

Here are some of the highlights!

1. Don’t use water on a stove fire. Best way to extinguish a fire in the kitchen is to cover the pot or the frying pan etc.

2. Don’t use cell phone while getting gas for your car. Could ignite your cell phone.

3. Your solar panels will still be charging electricity even if the power in the house is dead. There is a disconnect wire attached to each panel.

4. New home builders are encouraged to install home sprinkler systems.  They are triggered by heat so only that sprinkler will activate and water will be like a sprinkler directly over the fire instead of if the firemen come and “blast” the fire.  Much less water damage.  Even those of us whose homes are older might consider installing sprinklers depending on cost, location, etc. 

5.  The safety distance between homes is 50 feet.  If your home is closer than 50 feet from your neighbors, the fire could leap over to your house. So, it does matter if your neighbors’ homes catch fire.  Encourage them to call 739-8111 (program to install smoke alarms for vulnerable residents sponsored by the American Red Cross, Fire Department and retired electricians assn.) and get smoke alarms for their homes.

6. Lots of fires caused by overloaded extension cords.  If you plan to use a generator to run your refrigerator, make sure you get a proper extension cord.

7. If you use an oxygen tank, BE careful not to place it anywhere near flammables.

8. Generators should be kept outside a garage or anywhere inside the house. As well as the fuel that is used.

9.  Keep every door closed.  I’ve been keeping laundry room and restroom open but I plan to keep those doors closed too.

10.  SMOKE ALARMS – Should be checked monthly and batteries changed yearly. Recommend that every bedroom have a smoke alarm, even bedrooms that have been converted to offices.
CALL 739-8111 if you want to take advantage of the program sponsored by the American Red Cross, Fire Department and retired electricians assn. They will not only provide you with a smoke alarm for EVERY bedroom, but send volunteers to install them for you.  At the same time, you might even ask for a fire inspection for your home. The American Red Cross want as many people to protect themselves with smoke alarms so call 739-8111 to get more information about the program and if you are eligible.  If you have the means, the American Red Cross will welcome monetary donations or volunteer help (which requires background checks and training) for this very important program.  

11. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO GET OUT. It used to be that you had 15 minutes but now, with so much more synthetic materials being used,  the fires burn more quickly. 

The next workshop will be held on Thursday, August 22. Be Ready Manoa will be presenting “Emergency Water Distribution” from: 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Manoa Innovation Center on Woodlawn Dr., mauka of the Woodlawn Bridge.  Go to the Be Ready Manoa website for further info. Highly encourage residents to attend.

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Posted in Events.


Emergency Preparedness References and Resources

Links

Websites

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Posted in Miscellaneous.


Manoa Recognized as Disaster Ready Community

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency

DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR

MAJOR GENERAL ARTHUR J. LOGAN
DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

VERN T. MIYAGI
ADMINISTRATOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

NEWS RELEASE
August 24, 2017

BE READY MANOA RECEIVED DISASTER RESILIENT
RECOGNITION AT 9th ANNUAL MANOA VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD SECURITY WATCH MEETING

HONOLULU — The community group Be Ready Manoa was honored as a disaster resilient community yesterday by local, state, and federal officials during the 9th Annual Manoa Valley Neighborhood Security Watch Meeting. Be Ready Manoa received recognition as a disaster resilient community through the Hawaii Hazards Awareness and Resilience Program (HHARP).

Distinguished guests that joined in honoring Be Ready Manoa’s designation as a disaster resilient community included:
• Representative Isaac Choy
• Vern Miyagi, Administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
• Bruce E. Oliveira, Community Programs Director, State of Hawaii Department of Defense
• Kevin Richards, Natural Hazards Planner, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
• Ann Kobayashi, Honolulu City Councilmember
• Crystal van Beelen, Disaster Preparedness Officer, Department of Emergency Management
• John Bravender, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Be Ready Manoa is the fifth community to achieve this recognition. Waimanalo, Kailua, Aina Haina and Joint Base Pearl Harbor are the other communities.

HHARP is a statewide program designed to guide communities through a disaster preparedness process that will empower them before, during, and after natural disasters such as hurricane, flash flood, and tsunami. Completion of HHARP includes presentations on local hazards and guidance in creating a community emergency plan.
###

Media Contact:
Arlina Agbayani
Public Relations Officer
808-620-5423

Mahalo,
Arlina Agbayani
Public Relations Officer
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA)
3949 Diamond Head Road
Honolulu, HI 96816
Cellular: 808-620-5423

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Posted in Miscellaneous.


Hurricane Awareness

As noted in the post below, hurricane season in Hawaii starts June 1.  The following is some excellent information on hurricanes from The National Preparedness Community:

What is a Hurricane?

History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster.

Hurricane hazards come in many forms, including storm surge, heavy rainfall, inland flooding, high winds, tornadoes, and rip currents. Gaining a better understanding of tropical cyclones and hurricane hazards will help to make a more informed decision on your risk and what actions to take.

Today we’re talking about high wind and inland flooding two incredibly deadly and destructive elements of hurricanes. Read, watch and share!

Inland Flooding: The Deadliest Element

When these powerful storms move over land, they lose wind strength but continue to dump massive amounts of rain into streams, rivers and lakes, posing a serious threat of inland flooding. These floods account for more than 50 percent of hurricane-related deaths each year.

Watch this short and shareable video of National Hurricane Center (NHC) Hurricane Specialist John Cangialosi discussing the deadly danger of inland flooding caused by tropical cyclones and hurricanes.

HurricaneFlooding

 

Wind Scales: Judging Hurricane Intensity

HurricaneWindScaleThe Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. This scale estimates potential property damage. Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage. Category 1 and 2 storms are still dangerous, however, and require preventative measures. In the western North Pacific, the term “super typhoon” is used for tropical cyclones with sustained winds exceeding 150 mph.

 

The Makings of A Hurricane: Storm Surges & Storm Tides

Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tides. Storm surge should not be confused with storm tide, which is defined as the water level rise due to the combination of storm surge and the astronomical tide. This rise in water level can cause extreme flooding in coastal areas particularly when storm surge coincides with normal high tide, resulting in storm tides reaching up to 20 feet or more in some cases.

StormSurge

Click on picture for more information on storm surge

Click on picture for more information on storm surge

 

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Posted in Hurricane.


The Mānoa Disaster Preparedness Team is No More

Wait. What happened?  Not to worry.  The Mānoa Disaster Preparedness Team has changed its name to Be Ready Mānoa.  Same people, same mission.  We are now officially a corporation (unfortunately NOT tax exempt) of community volunteers.  The official information is:

Be Ready Mānoa
P.O. Box 61623
Honolulu, HI  96822
email – info@bereadymanoa.org
Website – bereadymanoa.org

Lots of things are happening.  You may notice  our new logo above thanks to Courtney Hara a UH senior in graphic design.  Also, plans for the Be Ready Mānoa community fair in September are going full speed ahead.  Sponsors, vendors, exhibitors, entertainment and much more are lined up.  Plans are to stimulate interest by involving local schools and school kids in disaster preparedness and education.

Stay tuned for future developments including the unveiling of our super hero mascot “Disaster Blaster”.

 

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Posted in Miscellaneous.


Are You Prepared for No Water?

WaterBarrel1In the event of a destructive hurricane or tsunami it is possible that water pumping facilities could be damaged or that electrical power necessary to run the pumps would be unavailable.  If that happened, water reservoirs would run dry in 2 or 3 days.  After hurricane Iniki hit Kauai, some homes were without water for a month.  In such an emergency, how would you get water for drinking, cooking, flushing toilets, bathing, doing laundry? Mānoa residents are perhaps more fortunate than those in other areas of the island because we have ample rainfall.  Thus it is possible to set up a water catchment system for emergency water needs.  How do you do that?  Every quarter, the Halawa Xeriscape Garden run by the Board of Water Supply gives a Rain Barrel Catchment class.  Recently several members of the WWAP NSW attended the class and came home with a 55 gallon water barrel and the knowledge of how to set up a catchment system.  Here is George working on his new water barrel. If you are interested in learning more, call 748-5363 or send an email to workshops@hbws.org to sign up for their next Rain Barrel Catchment class.  The cost of the class is $35.

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Posted in Emergency Water.


Be Ready Mānoa Team

NewLogo“Together, we prepare, survive and thrive” is the motto, which we chose to rally our community members in developing a strategic preparedness framework for Mānoa.  As the first urban community in Honolulu to develop a disaster preparedness plan, we strive to serve as a model to help our immediate neighbors and others beyond. In the chaos and uncertainty, which can accompany disaster, our best chance of surviving and thriving will only happen when working together.

After the Katrina and Sandy experiences, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) realized that Federal, State and Local agencies could not do it all so has focused its efforts on building skills at the local level to enable communities to respond to disasters .  We were told at our first FEMA course for Community Leaders on November 21, 2013 not to expect emergency agencies to be able to respond within a week of a disaster.    Hawai‘i is the most remote archipelago in the world; there is less money, fewer personnel and a very long supply line.   We must rely on our own resources.

The solutions are numerous and daunting. We will be training as many of our residents to be Community Emergency Response Team members, developing an overall communications framework (that includes training residents on HAM radio and family radio service – FRS – devices), organizing and strengthening our existing Neighborhood Security Watches with more training, and encouraging our residents to always be prepared.rous and daunting. We will be training as many of our residents to be Community Emergency Response Team members, developing an overall communications framework (that includes training residents on HAM radio and family radio service – FRS – devices), organizing and strengthening our existing Neighborhood Security Watches with more training, and encouraging our residents to always be prepared.

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Posted in General.