Free Manoa disaster fair helps community prepare for emergencies

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A free community event in Manoa helped residents prepare for future disasters Saturday.

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Be Ready Manoa hosted its free 2026 Disaster Preparedness Fair at Manoa Market Place.

The event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and featured city, state and community organizations with expertise in disaster preparedness and response.

Organizers said the goal is to raise awareness about potential hazards and help residents better prepare before an emergency happens.

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Kathy Callejo, a secretary with Be Ready Manoa, added that first responders could be responding to harder-hit areas and could be delayed.

“They’re going to take a while to get to where you are. (They are) a bit busy opening up the ports and their airports. Making sure that it is prepared to receive things for us. That’s how we are in the islands, right? So we make sure that we can go ahead and do what we can to take care of our neighbors,” she said.

Be Ready Manoa also holds preparedness meetings and training classes focused on risks facing the Manoa community.

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In 2017, Manoa was designated as the city’s first resilient urban community.