Every time a hurricane was heading our way this summer, the same confusion and fear would rise up and echo around the hours of media storm coverage, questions of whether to evacuate, where to go and what to bring. After a while, it became clear nobody had a good handle on this.
People weren’t sure if they should evacuate and were surprised, for the most part, that the decision was left up to them as individuals. People who went to emergency shelters were surprised at how little was available for them there. Some expressed shock there isn’t enough shelter space in Hawaii for every resident — though we’ve been told for decades that sheltering at home is best if we think we’re safe. Again, though, that’s up to our discretion.
Without much fanfare, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is mailing out a survey aimed at measuring the need for shelter and immediate supplies should a hurricane hit Hawaii.
Author and business consultant Peter Drucker famously said, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” and this survey seems to be a tool for emergency management agencies to get a sense of the amount of resources they will need should the big one hit.
But there’s another side, too. Beyond a way for the government to gather information, completing the survey requires the householders to do an honest inventory of their assets, liabilities and contingency plans should a hurricane bear down on Hawaii.
There are 47 multiple-choice questions on four pages. The form is completely unadorned — no colored fonts, no government seals, no highlighted instructions, just the 47 questions.
The questions start with, “How worried are you that there will be a hurricane in the next year that will cause major damage to the island?” and move quickly to assessing how well the household thinks it could fend for itself and what expectations the respondent has for government help.
“Emergency authorities advise that we have two weeks of essential supplies stored as preparation for a hurricane. If you don’t have that level of essential supplies, why do you think you don’t?” one questions asks. Responses include:
>> Too expensive to maintain at that level.
>> No space in our house.
>> Not prepared now, but we will get everything before the event.
>> We expect that government will bring help quickly.
>> Don’t believe these events are serious enough to justify the preparation.
The survey asks about people within the household who may have special needs and what specifically they would require, such as hospital beds or refrigeration for medicine.
There are several that ask questions about pets, which seem to factor heavily in people’s decisions to seek shelter in ways that maybe didn’t so much in past generations. One question asks, “If a public shelter could accommodate your pet, would you be more inclined to go to a public shelter in the face of a hurricane, or would it not make any difference?”
And some just cut to the heart of it all: Whether you think your home will survive a hurricane and how long you think everyone in your house would be OK without power, water and outside help.
It’s great to know the state, as well as FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, is asking these questions and compiling the answers. Hopefully, they act on the information. Hopefully we do, too.
Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.
