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Local Hurricane Mitigation Activities Kauai County:

Kauai County Civil Defense

The Kauai Civil Defense Agency has responsibility for administering and operating the various local, state, and Federal civil defense programs for the County. This includes planning, preparing, and coordinating civil defense operations in meeting disaster situations and coordinating post-disaster recovery operations.

Mitigation Activities:

  • Reviews and updates all hazards and their threat to the island.
  • Engages in forums with public (by request)
  • Works with the State Civil Defense

Project Impact Kauai

Project Impact is a national disaster prevention initiative developed in partnership with states and FEMA, encouraging communities to assess their risks from natural hazards and to implement strategies and actions that will limit damage before disasters strike again. Kauai County is the third county in Hawaii invited to participate in the initiative as a Project Impact community.

Mitigation Activities:

  • Hardening Shelters
  • Working to get a “Safe Room” tax credit ordinance passed
  • Designing regional mitigation plans centered around their police stations
  • Starting maintenance work on generators used during Hurricane Iniki that will be needed during the next hurricane

Kauai County Housing Department

Mitigation Activities:

  • Adoption of the 1991 Buidling Code
  • Road show (1998) - Set up booth at shopping malls with hazard mitigation items and brochures
  • “Future Fair” participant, part of booth showcased Project Ho’omalu
  • Project Ho’omalu
  • Build sample homes - self help corporation, habitat for humanity

Kauai Department of Public Works

  • Harden essential county facilities (50% FEMA match)

State Civil Defense

Responsibility of all disasters or major crises in the State of Hawaii begins at the county level. As the disaster or crisis develops, the State Civil Defense System provides the operational infrastructure and procedures to apply additional resources to meet the demands of the emergency from all appropriate levels of government.

Mitigation Activities:

  • Hardening of Koloa Fire Station
  • Hardening of essential facilities
  • Hardening and retrofit of the Anahola Community Center
  • Hardening of Kauai War Memorial Convention Center
  • Floodproofing of the Kauai County Civil Defense and emergency operations
  • Project Ho’omalu
  • State of Hawaii Hurricane Emergency Sheltering Program

Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes

The Center conducts public symposiums at the University of Hawaii at Hilo to discuss impacts of natural hazards, mitigation measures, and policy/warning systems. They plan symposia for teachers for credit. They also conduct presentations to 4th and 6th grade classes and community associations on earthquake preparedness.


U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

"The goal of the USGS is to make certain that emergency managers have the critical scientific data they need to make informed decisions on the safety issues that surround hurricanes and other natural hazards, decisions that must be made quickly and can have a significant impact on lives and property, " Charles G. Groat, Director of the USGS.

Mitigation Activities:

  • Revised their coastal storm-response plan, which sets the guidelines for forming a storm-response team. This team ensures the timely and efficient collection and distribution of USGS data that is critical for use by emergency management officials at the local, state an dfederal level
  • Provide "real-time" stream data (stage and volume of water) from many locations around the country so that the National Weather Service and other governemtn agencies can issue flood warnings more responsibly. These real-time stations can be viewed at http://water.usgs.gov/realtime.html on the Internet.
  • Gather baseline information on natural resources along the coast before a storm hits so that they can compare the resources after the storm. for example,by mapping the habitat of wetlands by aerial photography before and after a storm, it allows biologists to better understand the possible effects of a hurricane on species, food supply and living conditions.

Kauai Electric

Mitigation activities include:

  • Conduct joint exercises with the State Civil Defense
  • Completed Emergency Response Plan · Conducted “table top” exercise and a functional test with employees
  • Increase amount of fuel included in its rate base from 30 to 35 days - will propose in next rate-making proceeding
  • Strongly considering options to diversify fuel
  • Joint Pole committee

American Red Cross - Hawaii Chapter

American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Mitigation activities include:

  • Identify shelter manages and train
  • Community outreach - family survival kit, emergency supply kit

Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii

Mitigation activities include:

  • Quantitative criteria defining a minimum level of structural capacity should be established to determine structurally ‘unsafe’ buildings
  • Technical assistance in developing an abatement ordinance which balances hazard reduction and economic concerns