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Another Kona Low Approaching

KHON posted the following update at 5:47 pm Wednesday (3/18):

Heavier showers are expected to move into Kauai and Oahu on Thursday, with increasing showers for all islands through Sunday. Comparatively speaking, the Kona low that swept through the islands last weekend is more potent than this second incoming storm. However, it still packs a punch with heavy rain and possible thunderstorms focusing in particular over Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and Maui. A flood watch begins Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.

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The National Weather Service posted the following update at 2:59 PM HST Wednesday (3/18):

FLOOD WATCH FOR OAHU, MOLOKAI, MAUI, AND THE BIG ISLAND FROM 6PM HST THURSDAY TO 6PM HST SUNDAY

* WHAT…Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible.

* WHERE…The islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island.

* WHEN…From Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon.

* IMPACTS…Flood prone roads and other low lying areas may be closed due to elevated runoff and overflowing streams. Urban areas may receive more significant flooding and property damage due to rapid runoff.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…

– A kona low developing west of the islands will draw abundant moisture northward as it strengthens and eventually departs to north early next week. Several rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall are anticipated. The heaviest rain is expected Friday night through Saturday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.

Use this link to sign up for HNL Alert.

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Posted in Miscellaneous.

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By Wes Oda – March 10, 2026

Join the Manoa Coconut Wireless Program – Manoa Residents Can Get a FREE Walkie Talkie

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.

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Posted in General.

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By Wes Oda – October 27, 2025

National Weather Service – 2025 Central Pacific Hurricane Season Forecast Presentation

Thanks to John Bravender, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, from the National Weather Service for an informative and insightful presentation of the 2025 Central Pacific Hurricane Season Forecast. The full presentation will also be posted on the Be Ready Manoa website. Individuals who signed up for the in-person option were able to tour the National Weather Service facility located at the University of Hawaii. A big MAHALO to our partners at the National Weather Service for hosting these kinds of educational sessions and – more importantly – doing the important work of monitoring our weather.

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Posted in Hurricane.

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By Wes Oda – May 31, 2025

New HNL Alert Notification System

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.

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Posted in Hurricane.

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By Wes Oda – April 12, 2025

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. 

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Posted in Events.

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By Wes Oda – August 3, 2019

Emergency Preparedness References and Resources

Links

Websites

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Posted in Miscellaneous.

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By Wes Oda – January 21, 2018

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.

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By Wes Oda – August 24, 2017

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.

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By Wes Oda – May 29, 2014

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.

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By Wes Oda – May 3, 2014

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.

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By Wes Oda – April 16, 2014