Are we ready for our next hurricane?

[helen]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

I agree with Glen that if Oahu gets hit with a hurricane we will suffer a lot of wind related damage as well as flooding from sea surges but after the storm passes the water is not going to stick around. Sure it's going to take time to clean up after the storm but it won't be delayed by standing flood waters like New Orleans.

While I can understand some people are looting stores for supplies in New Orleans what I don't get is some people are taking arms against the people are either trying to repair the damage or evacuting people from the area, this is bizzare and unexpect behavior.

[Miulang]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

Flooding aside, does your city and state government have plans to ensure that there are minimal power or phone (landline and cellular) outages that will be caused by the high winds and surf? Does the fire dept have plans for rescuing people from those skyscraper buildings in Waikiki if they need to be evacuated? Do the police have contingency plans if there are civil disturbances? Are there enough Reservists still available in Honolulu on call to help out?

Even with the flooding in NO, convoys of trucks were finally able to make it in from other states to deliver relief supplies. Hawai'i is a series of islands. You will have to rely primarily on what's already on the island for some period of time before help from the "outside" (i.e., the Neighbor Islands, if they weren't affected, or the Mainland by plane) can get to you.

Miulang

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

Hawai'i is a series of islands. You will have to rely primarily on what's already on the island for some period of time before help from the "outside" (i.e., the Neighbor Islands, if they weren't affected, or the Mainland by plane) can get to you.

Once again, you're stating the obvious. And it's Krauss, not Kraus.

The government of the State of Hawaii, the City and County of Honolulu and Oahu Civil Defense have procedures in place to deal with the aftermath of a hurricane.

One key difference between Hawaii and the mainland - while there are lots of stupid people up there looting and shooting at authorities, locals out here will be more apt to go out of their way and help their neighbors. Even under the most dire circumstances, I'm sure there will be examples of the Aloha Spirit in action.

Then again, you can prepare all you want, but you never know exactly what will happen until disaster actually strikes.

[Miulang]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

The people who were causing the violent crimes in NO during the aftermath of the hurricane were chronics and drug dealers, not the majority of the citizens (you can even use Pareto's law to stretch it and say 20% of the people who remained in NO were the ones causing the problem; 80% of the people stuck at the Convention Ctr and the Superdome were law abiding). I'm sure Auntie Lynn can attest to the fact that there are quite a few chronics and dealers in Chinatown; just go read her blog. My guess is they would do anything to feed their habits, just like junkies anywhere else in the world.

Miulang

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

The people who were causing the violent crimes in NO during the aftermath of the hurricane were chronics and drug dealers, not the majority of the citizens. I'm sure Auntie Lynn can attest to the fact that there are quite a few chronics and dealers in Chinatown; just go read her blog. My guess is they would do anything to feed their habits, just like junkies anywhere else in the world.

Don't need to read her blog - I was just in Chinatown last weekend (and plan to go back on Wednesday to see DJ Kool Herc at Next Door), and know what it's like.

I touched on this in another thread about the hurricane. I know the violent crimes are being committed by chronics. But I also think it would be harder to loot guns and ammunition in Honolulu, and I'm pretty sure there would be a stronger HPD presence here than there was by the cops in NO.

[waioli kai]

when the sirens go off

Glen Miyashiro: "If Honolulu gets hit with a hurricane, we'll have a lot of wind and water damage but once the storm passes the water will drain away."

And if the Ala Wai canal and mauka to makai streets get choked with debris and sands from a 15 to 20 ft storm surge, would it much matter if Honolulu were inundated for 12 to 14 hrs instead of like Kartrina's New Orleans' 4 to 12 weeks? Where on O'ahu would people in the inundation zones of O'ahu evacuate in the event of a hurricane and/or a tsunami striking O'ahu?

http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/refs/ro...s/24kl_ch4.doc
Heavy rainfall at the head of the valleys, combined with debris clogging the lowland channels, has on occasion overwhelmed the capacity of these drainageways. In many areas of Ko’olau Loa, the pavement of Kamehameha Highway diverts or detains the overland flow of stormwater runoff toward the ocean. This condition can cause localized flooding of the highway and mauka side properties. A federal reconnaissance study examined options for flood control along the Wailele Stream. Construction of flood control improvements including a berm is being considered...

Drainage problems exist in Kahuku in the lowland floodplains of Ohia, Kalaeo Kahipa, and Malaekahana Streams. As existing drainage facilities are inadequate during major storm events, the runoff from mauka areas floods the campus of Kahuku High and Intermediate School, as well as portions of the commercial area and the Walkerville residential area.

It is estimated that 43% of businesses never reopen following a local disaster, such as a tsunami. http://www.mothernature-hawaii.com/c..._work-oahu.htm
It is estimated that 43% of businesses never reopen following a local disaster, such as a hurricane.

http://www.fema.gov/about/history.shtm Billions of dollars of new funding were directed to FEMA to help communities face the threat of terrorism. Just a few years past its 20th anniversary, FEMA was actively directing its "all-hazards" approach to disasters toward homeland security issues. In March 2003, FEMA joined 22 other federal agencies, programs and offices in becoming the Department of Homeland Security. The new department, headed by Secretary Tom Ridge, brought a coordinated approach to national security from emergencies and disasters - both natural and man-made. Today, FEMA is one of four major branches of DHS. About 2,500 full-time employees in the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate are supplemented by more than 5,000 stand-by disaster reservists.

As it has for more than 20 years, FEMA's mission remains: to lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disasters with a vision of "A Nation Prepared." At no time in its history has this vision been more important to the country than in the aftermath of Sept. 11th.Last Updated: Saturday, 23-Oct-2004 00:00:00 EDT

Evacuation routes? Depends on what the evacuation is for. At the UH Manoa Campus if everyone ends up in his/her own allotted 10sqft (ie, in the building one ends up in) there is space for a little over 47,000 people, who are to bring their own water and food. The 47,000 estimate was a 1983 figure concerning UH Manoa being an evacuation shelter 10 miles from a potential ground zero nuclear attack on Pearl Harbor.

The vast majority of us no doubt just think along the lines of: "I'll deal with when I must; when the sirens go off!"

[lavagal]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

A hurricane would certainly test all of the new housing built since Hurricane Iniki from Makakilo Ridge to Kamehame Ridge. I'm personally grateful that the city cleans the ditch that runs behind my house from the mostly green waste my neighbors dump into it. We had a few heavy rains last winter where the ditch overflowed onto the street at the bottom, just a few blocks before the marina.
Each week, or even each day, if we did something around our homes that helped us achieve flight of foot in times of emergency, we'd all be better off. I keep watching our canopies out back roil from the wind just today! I'm losing avocados meant for Christmas guacamole! It could be so much worse!

[Miulang]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

With regard to violent crimes in Hawai'i...how easy is it to get your hands on a gun or rifle as a civilian? Do the Walmarts in Hawai'i sell guns like they do in some stores on the Mainland? Apparently, that's where some of the looted guns were coming from in NO. I belonged to my high school rifle club briefly (funny, but a lot of the "good" kids joined that club or the band) and probably could remember how to shoot a rifle if I had to.

Miulang

[helen]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

Not impossible but Wal-Mart is not the only place in Oahu that sell guns and ammo.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

Of course it's not. There are a number of stores that sell firearms and ammo.

I don't think there are as many retailers here as there are in the areas affected by Katrina... that's common sense. I'd also be willing to bet that looters would have a much more difficult time getting their hands on the weapons.

And as I've said before, I think local people themselves will be a strong enough deterrent against the type of violence that's happening on the mainland.

[Surfingfarmboy]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

My local NBC affiliate made reference to a recent online Forbes article about Honolulu being the best place to avoid natural disasters in the USA They also mentioned Monroe, LA was the worst.

I had to check this out for myself at the Forbes web site.

Here's the link in case if any of you might be interested.

Honolulu the best place to be

Skip the intro if it pops up; the link should then take you directly to the article.

[Miulang]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

"You're only as safe as you think you are and your government can con you into believing that you are."

Eesh. That Forbes article isn't going to do much for Hawai'i as far as keeping more people from the Mainland moving over there if they are afraid of natural disasters.

Miulang

[Tiger Beer]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

I wouldn't mind reading some of Auntie Lynn's blog of Honolulu's chinatown? whats the website address?

Regarding a typhoon in Hawaii.. with the massive military presense in Hawaii.. I'd think they'd be deployed significantly sooner than what happened in New Orleans. Plus Honolulu actually seems to have a lot of really good people living there. Some of those mainland cities while having good people, also have an element to it in inner-cities that don't quite respond the way you'd think usually happens when a natural disaster happens - ie helping each other out.

You really get to see a city's soul when something like that happens. I was just thinking of other natural disasters where people go way out of their way helping each out. For example, the tsunami in Phuket.. tons of stories of local Thais going way out of their way helping out foreigners.. and people just looking out for each other. They didn't just go nuts stealing everything they could at the opportunity.

Anyhow, everyone everywhere should always be prepared for something wherever they live.

[Miulang]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

I wouldn't mind reading some of Auntie Lynn's blog of Honolulu's chinatown? whats the website address?
.

Here ya go, Tiger. Auntie writes in stream of consciousness mode, but she never fabricates or tries to pretty up any of her blogposts. She really is one cool wahine. I want to meet her next time I'm in Honolulu.

Miulang

[MadAzza]

Re: Are we ready for our next hurricane?

Anyhow, everyone everywhere should always be prepared for something wherever they live.

Can I nominate this as the quote of the week? Yeah, it's only Tuesday, but I think it's a keeper!

(cracking up laughing, but not in a "mean-spirited" way!)