By Staff Reports
(LĪHU‘E) – In recognition of April being Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawai‘i, the Kaua‘i Civil Defense Agency (KCDA) is joining with the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency and other emergency management agencies across the state to promote public awareness and preparedness.
“I would like to encourage everyone to learn about tsunamis and evacuation zones on Kaua‘i, and to prepare accordingly,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. “Preparedness starts with the knowledge and awareness of the threats posed by tsunamis.”
The mayor noted that this information can be found in phone directories and the KCDA website at www.kauai.gov/civildefense.
With recent scientific studies indicating the risks of the extremely rare yet potentially devastating greater-Aleutian tsunami exceeding prior planning parameters, the KCDA is working with scientists and public safety officials on updates to the county’s tsunami evacuation zones that will include that rare, yet extreme tsunami.
The updates will be released later this month and for the first time, it will include the island of Niihau.
“As part of Tsunami Awareness Month, KCDA is planning to do a launch of the updated Tsunami Evacuation Zone maps, with the corresponding county, state and federal website updates,” said Elton Ushio, Emergency Management administrator. “We are also working with publishers to ensure inclusion of the new maps and preparedness information in the new phone directories.”
During tsunami warnings, the KCDA receives a number of calls from people asking whether they live in a tsunami evacuation zone.
“As part of preparedness, I would like to urge residents and visitors to find out now if they’re in a tsunami evacuation zone,” said Ushio. “In addition to our website and phone books, signage along our highways indicate where the tsunami evacuation zones and routes are.”
The following activities are scheduled on Kaua’i for Tsunami Awareness Month:
n April 1 and April 15 – Tsunami awareness presentations by the KCDA staff at the Emergency Operations Center for elementary school students.
n April 15 – KCDA staff to provide outreach at the PMRF Earth Day event for 300 middle-school students and teachers.
For more information, please visit the KCDA website or call 241-1800.