With impacts unclear, counties gear up for potentially stormy weekend

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Community leaders and emergency agencies are preparing for what’s shaping up to be a stormy weekend.

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We asked one Honolulu resident, “Are you concerned about the storm that’s brewing in the Pacific?”

She said, “We always have to be really aware of storms that are coming through. We never know the intensity till they actually hit, but we always have to be prepared.”

Getting prepared now is what leaders hope people will do as the threat of a possible tropical cyclone brews.

Although exact impacts still aren’t known, county officials across the state are already in action.

“It’s kicking the tires. It’s making sure that everybody’s in communication with each other, and that any kind of prep work we can do before serious impacts occur. We’re doing those in advance,” Hawaii County Civil Defense staff officer Adam Weintraub said.

Daily state coordination calls have begun, and counties are evaluating their operational readiness.

Streams and culverts are being cleared in hopes of preventing flash flooding, like in Manoa where the Kona low turned the stream into a raging torrent.

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Kauai County says their emergency operations center is at level 3, enhanced steady-state activation, and emergency shelters are on standby.

“It’s mainly ensuring awareness and readiness at home, and then we’ll shift into organizational readiness, although some partners are already taking steps,” Kauai Emergency Management Administrator Elton Ushio said.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi added, “We’re concerned. I don’t want to say we’re worried yet. You know, one thing I know is, we cannot control the storm, but we can certainly control how we prepare for it.”

Some of the people we spoke with in downtown Honolulu were unaware there was even a storm brewing, while others who lived through the recent Kona lows say they are worried about the potential impacts.

“Given the recent events, I think we’re definitely paying more attention to being ready and, yeah, considering a generator and things like that,” North Shore resident Kristy Morris said.

One thing however that is not taking place are dam inspections.

There were great concerns about dam failures and catastrophic flooding during the Kona lows, but the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said engineers aren’t doing inspections or visits at this time as they don’t anticipate significant impacts to facilities.

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