Save the date! The Be Ready Manoa Disaster Preparedness Fair will be held on Saturday, September 19, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Manoa Marketplace courtyard. The event is FREE and open to the public.
The following is an update from the Honolulu Star Advertiser as of 5 pm Saturday:
Hurricane Lowell weakened this afternoon but was still a major hurricane as it begins moving toward the western main Hawaiian islands. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center said that a tropical storm watch has been issued for Kauai and Niihau, and a hurricane watch has been issued for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. A watch is issued 48 hours before the anticipated tropical storm or hurricane wind conditions arrive and make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
“Efforts to protect property should now be underway. Prepare for limited wind damage,” the tropical storm watch said. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for all islands from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon. “Moisture along the eastern flank of Hurricane Lowell will bring periods of heavy rain to the main Hawaiian islands late Sunday through Tuesday,” NWS said in the flood watch. “Initially, the threat of heavy rain will be highest along windward and mountain areas, then the threat will spread everywhere as the winds become more southerly by Monday.”
Flood-prone roads and other low-lying areas may be closed due to elevated runoff and overflowing streams, forecasters said, adding that urban areas may receive more significant flooding and property damage due to rapid runoff. Just before 5 p.m., Lowell had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, down from 145 mph six hours earlier but still considered a Category 4 hurricane. The cyclone is about 630 miles south-southwest of Lihue and 635 miles south-southwest of Honolulu, according to CPHC. It was moving west-northwest at 5 mph.
Hurricane force winds of 74 mph or more extend up to 45 miles from center and tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extend up to 175 miles. “A turn toward the north is expected on Sunday, followed by a north-northeastward motion with an increase in forward speed Sunday night and Monday,” forecasters said. “On the forecast track, the center of Lowell will move across portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, just west of the main Hawaiian Islands, Monday night.”
By Monday night, Lowell is expected to have 115 mph maximum sustained winds, still a major Category 3 hurricane. The latest forecast “brings the center of Lowell about 150 to 175 nautical miles (170 to 200 statute miles) west of Niihau around the time of closest approach,” forecasters said. “After passing the main Hawaiian Islands, Lowell is forecast to turn west-northwestward and slow as weak ridging builds to the north of the cyclone.”
Forecasters warn of the following possible impacts on the islands:
>> Rain: Hurricane Lowell is expected to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with maximum totals exceeding 10 inches possible, for Kauai. For the Big Island, 2 to 6 inches of rain is expected with isolated totals of 10 inches possible. For Maui, 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected, with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches possible. Across the remaining islands, rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is possible. Periods of heavy rain may produce significant flash flooding and mudslides, especially on Kauai and portions of the Big Island. Heavy rainfall associated with Lowell will begin to impact Hawaii Sunday afternoon and continue through early next week.
>> Wind: Tropical storm conditions are possible in Kauai County by late Monday. Hurricane conditions are possible in eastern portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Monday night, with tropical storm conditions possibly beginning by late Monday.
>> Storm surge: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide: Kauai County, 1 to 3 feet; Oahu, up to to a foot. The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of Lowell’s center, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.
>> Surf: Swells from Lowell are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions during the next several days across many of the Hawaiian islands. Officials urge the public, especially inexperienced ocean-goers, to stay out of the water as conditions deteriorate.
The weather service in Honolulu has extended a high surf advisory for the south and east shores of all islands and west shores of the Big Island through Monday night. NWS expects waves up to 14 feet along east shores; up to 12 feet along south shores, increasing to 14 feet by Sunday night; and up to 10 feet along west shores of the Hawaii island. The advisory is expected to be upgraded to a warning for affected south and west shores Sunday night into Monday as surf heights are expected to rapidly rise, forecasters said.
The NWS has also issued a hurricane warning for Hawaiian offshore waters beyond 40 nautical miles out to 240 nautical miles including the portion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument east of French Frigate Shoals until Wednesday. Seas of up to 10 feet, and peaking at 19 feet on Tuesday, are predicted, as are thunderstorms. Lowell is the most powerful and the sole threat to Hawaii of three tropical cyclones churning in the Central and East Pacific.
Tropical Storm Karina had 60 mph sustained winds and centered 740 miles east-northeast of Hilo at 5 p.m., according to CPHC. It was moving west-northwest at 6 mph. The once-powerful Category 4 hurricane is expected to continue to weaken and be a post-tropical depression, still hundreds of miles northeast of Hawaii, by Monday.
In the East Pacific, Hurricane Marie had 90 mph sustained winds 725 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California. It was expected to weaken to a tropical storm by Sunday and to a post-tropical depression Wednesday as it moves northwest, hundreds of miles off the coast of Southern California.
September is one of the busiest months in the hurricane season so everyone should take this opportunity to get prepared:
>> Review and update family emergency plans, including where to go if evacuation is necessary.
>> Assemble or replenish emergency supplies, including enough food, water, medications and essential items to last at least 14 days.
>> Have flashlights, batteries, portable chargers and other supplies ready in the event of a power outage.
>> Secure outdoor furniture, equipment and other loose objects that could become hazardous in strong winds.
>> Clear gutters, drains and areas that could contribute to flooding.
>> Keep vehicles fueled and avoid waiting until the last minute to purchase essential supplies.
>> Know whether homes are in a flood, coastal or other hazard area and be prepared to relocate if necessary.
>> Sign up for HNL Alert emergency notifications by visiting hnlalert.gov or texting HNLALERT to 888777.
Post Hurricane Lala
If you were impacted by the storm, the City is asking all affected residents to fill out the online damage assessment form. The purpose of this form is only to collect information that will help local officials understand the damage that occurred and impacts on the community. The City will also use this information to determine whether the City can request federal assistance programs.
Tropical Storm Lala was a reminder that everyone should prepare since August and September have historically been the most active months in which tropical cyclones form:
Create a plan and know what to pack and/or ensure is safe in the event of a major disaster. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has published a list of resources that can help you plan according to your personal situation.
The Department of Emergency Management recommends having a two-week emergency supply kit as well as a ‘Go-Bag’ in the event you have to evacuate. If you know of any vulnerable family, friends, or neighbors – consider helping them to prepare as they will have additional, specific, needs that need to be considered prior to, during, and after a major disaster.
Determine how you can harden your home and if you should shelter in place. This is a link to the Homeowner’s Handbook that is published by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant program. Page 59 is a chart that summarizes whether or not – based on the date of and type of construction – you should shelter in place. The book can be downloaded and is a very good reference for disaster preparedness planning. If you do need to evacuate, determine if you have a friend or family member whose home can be a shelter. If there is no safe option, please watch the news and/or check the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) website to find out which evacuation shelters will be open in your area and if its pet friendly.
Understand what to do in the event you hear the emergency siren. Here is a link to the Emergency Siren reference page – which contains the locations of all sirens. When you hear the siren, turn on the radio or local television and listen for more instructions should it sound due to an emergency. Sign up for HNL Alert to receive custom notifications.
Get trained to help the community post disaster. The Community Emergency Response Team (aka CERT) is a program that encourages ‘neighbors helping neighbors’. Should there be a statewide disaster, first responders and the government’s ability to respond to all areas affected will be limited. Communities will have to rely on its own residents to work together to address the immediate needs. Upcoming classes are available on the City and County of Honolulu website.
Thanks to John Bravender, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service, for another informative session. The outlook for the Central Pacific is 5-13 Tropical Cyclones, and a 70% chance of an above normal season. The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) outlook is a very high probability of a very strong El Nino – which means that it is more likely that certain impacts to weather could occur.
This is the full presentation. There are useful tips on how to be prepared toward the end of the presentation. Given the outlook for this hurricane season, please determine if you can/should shelter in place by accessing the Homeowner’s Handbook published by the UH Sea Grant. The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) will announce if/when any shelters will be made available, and you should have your evacuation bag already packed. Prepare ahead of time and avoid any last minute preparations.
Manoa residents will be given a FREE walkie talkie if they learn how to operate the device and participate in monthly communication practices. Should there be a major disaster like a hurricane, an alternate form of communication will be necessary if there is no electricity and cell towers are down. Sign up or get more information by emailing manoacoconutwireless@gmail.com. This program is FREE and supported by a generous donation of radios by AARP. More information about the walkie talkie and the program can be found by clicking on the Manoa Coconut Wireless link on the Be Ready Manoa site.
HNL Alert launched last week as the City and County of Honolulu’s new official notification system. HNL Alert is a free service that any resident or visitor can sign up for to receive alerts about potential and occurring emergency situations and other community updates such as road closures and impacts to City services. Users can select the types of events they want to be notified about and whether they want to receive alerts by text, email or push alert via an app. Current options include:
Severe weather
Emergency and disaster alerts
Road closures
Ocean safety conditions
Board of Water Supply system notifications such as water main breaks in your area
Ocean water quality notifications such as brown water advisories
The new HNL alert system is a major upgrade in the City and County of Honolulu’s ability to quickly inform the public. HNL Alert messages can be issued faster and can contain more details, including images and links to real-time information such as shelter locations and evacuation areas. HNL Alert replaces the previous alert system, called HNL.Info Alerts, which is no longer in use as of April 1.
HOW TO SIGN UP
There are two ways to sign up for HNL Alerts.
Option 1 (Recommended) – Customized Alerts: Create an account at HNLAlert.gov and customize what alerts you get and how you get them.
Pick what you want to alerted about and how you want to receive messages.
Enter home, work, or school addresses to get alerts targeted to certain areas of the island.
Log in any time to change your preferences or update contact information.
There is a link to a free app called Public Safety by Everbridge on the HNLAlert.gov page. Search for ‘honolulu’ after downloading the app to add the City. You can create or access your account from the app to get push alerts.
Option 2 – Urgent Alerts Only: Text HNLAlert to 888777. You will be automatically registered to receive only the most urgent notifications via text.
HELP ALERT OTHERS ABOUT HNL ALERT
HNL Alert will only be successful in keeping people safe if as many residents as possible are registered. Please spread the word to your family, neighbors, and friends.
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.
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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
“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.
Be Ready Manoa (BRM), formerly known as the Manoa Disaster Preparedness Team, began meeting in November 2013 in order to more cohesively address disaster preparedness in Manoa. Since November 2016, Be Ready Manoa is an approved 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. Be Ready Manoa promotes situational awareness & planning to potential disasters and organizes disaster […]more →
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