A reminder from Mother Nature.Hurricane season in Hawai‘i is roughly June through November with the potential of inflicting loss of life and widespread destruction. The official season begins June 1 for the Central Pacific. But according to Maui Weekly columnist and Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) Technical Editor Joseph W. Bean, “Mother Nature doesn’t know anything about that.” She is in charge of her own timeline, therefore, off-season hurricanes are not as rare as we’d like to think…
Joseph reminds us that the cusp of the hurricane season (right now!) should serve as a reminder to be prepared for emergencies of all kinds—in every possible way. When it is not hurricane season (and with the added possibility of having a hurricane anyway), the threat of other natural forces including tsunamis, earthquakes, fires, severe storms with storm surges, violent winds, high waves, heavy rains and flooding always looms in our future. Even the weakest tropical depressions can bring torrential rains and flash flooding, as we well know. As grim as those possibilities might sound, take them as a reminder to prepare for possible emergency situations.
There are numerous resources upon which to rely for useful emergency preparedness information, including the county (www.co.maui.hi.us/departments/CivilDefense) and, of course, the PDC Website (www.pdc.org—click the “Resources” tab). There is a wealth of information there, including printable checklists for making a disaster preparedness plan and disaster supply kit for your family.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center posts good information on its Website (www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/cphc) and during storm approaches, there are good resources for tracking and understanding the storms in the Hawai‘i edition of the Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas on PDC’s Website (www.pdc.org/atlhi/html/atlhi-viewer.jsp).
Joseph tells me that the Myanmar cyclone means nearly nothing in terms of Hawai‘i weather, but in terms of potential damage, just imagine that kind of destruction and death toll here. The highest estimate being published by the established media said that the death toll could hit 100,000—equivalent to close to two-thirds of the population of Maui.
“It is not surprising that the estimated death toll from Tropical Cyclone Nargis is continuing to rise given the intensity of the storm, population density along its path, and lack of adequate preparations on the ground,” Joseph stated in a PDC online article. He encourages you to prepare now by creating that emergency plan and assembling that kit.
Despite rumors to the contrary, none of the Hawaiian Islands are immune to hurricanes. Yes, that includes Maui. Maui Civil Defense often hears comments about the mountain ranges of the Big Island protecting us from hurricanes. Not true. Compared to the potential volume of a hurricane, the mountains of the Big Island are no more than a speed bump.
When it comes to tangling with a hurricane, even those lucky enough to live on Maui will run out of luck someday. It is not an issue of if, but when one will occur. So let’s prepare for the worst and hope for the best.