Question: That guy in Waianae is on top of it (808ne.ws/3NX08OS) but most of us aren’t like that with the hurricane prep. I have a tiny apartment, no storage. I try but it’s not easy.
Answer: The emergency preparedness of a Waianae family man interviewed in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser last week is noteworthy, and most Hawaii residents are not so ready to take care of themselves if a hurricane or other disaster strikes. As the story said, a survey found that 88% of households don’t have enough food, water or medicine to last 14 days, as the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency urges.
Knowing that it can be difficult for people to stockpile enough emergency supplies, for all sorts of reasons, HI-EMA is kicking off a new campaign today to help Hawaii residents become “2 Weeks Ready” one step at a time.
Featuring a series of short videos that will be posted on HI-EMA’s website (ready.hawaii.gov) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/@hiema 347) over the course of the summer, the series guides diverse households in figuring out exactly what they need and offers tips on overcoming obstacles that keep some people from even trying to put together an adequate emergency kit. Common challenges include a lack of cash to buy extra nonperishable food, water and medicine, or a lack of storage space to keep the vital supplies safe.
The first three episodes of the series — titled “What Does Your ‘2 Weeks Ready’ Look Like?” — were scheduled to be released today, a news release said. Each video is about two minutes long. The first batch includes an introduction “and a look at how to build a kit that matches your needs, whether your household includes keiki, kupuna, pets, or all of the above.”
Fifteen episodes have been produced and new videos will be released Thursdays throughout the summer. “Additional episodes are being planned, allowing HI-EMA to answer questions from the public,” the news release said.
So whether you follow HI-EMA’s emergency preparedness checklist, website or these new videos, the important thing is to get started, adding to your kit as you can. Remember: When a natural disaster strikes Hawaii, personal responsibility goes a long way. When households are generally well prepared, first responders can focus fully on the hardest-hit communities.
“Our state’s remote location and long supply chain means an emergency can easily isolate our communities from access to food, fuel, and other vital supplies for days, or even weeks. … We’ve talked a lot in the past few years about the importance of being ‘2 Weeks Ready,’ but these videos really focus on providing step-by-step guidance on how each ‘ohana can get to that goal,” HI-EMA Administrator James Barros said in the news release. “Even a few days of supplies is better than nothing! So, take the first steps and over time you and your ‘ohana will be better prepared for a hurricane, tsunami, or other disaster.”
Correction
Oahu real property tax bills distributed last week are due Aug. 21, because the usual due date of Aug. 20 falls on a Sunday this year. The due date was wrong in Sunday’s column.
Update
Hawaii’s Inspection Health Portal seems fully accessible to the public again after technical difficulties took it offline for about a week. Go to hi.health inspections.us/hawaii/ to search and view inspection reports for licensed food establishments, or access the system via the state Department of Health’s homepage, health.hawaii.gov/.
The site malfunctioned starting July 17, a DOH spokesperson said. Public access was initially restored Tuesday, faltered later that day and was working normally when we checked again Wednesday morning.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
