Gov. Linda Lingle released $8,047,740 last week to finance an upgrade of Hawai‘i’s disaster warning system. The funds will be used to upgrade existing Civil Defense sirens and install new solar-powered sirens throughout the state, focusing on tsunami inundation zones.

“Sirens are an effective tool for alerting the public in emergencies,” said Gov. Lingle. “It is imperative that we have a comprehensive and up-to-date system in place to support State Civil Defense in responding to disasters and keeping our residents and visitors safe.”

Earlier this year, State Civil Defense identified the need for 249 sirens to be installed or replaced, including at sites on the Big Island, Kaua‘i, Lana‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i and O‘ahu. This allotment will be used to fund the installation of approximately 96 high-priority sirens located in tsunami inundation zones. Additional project funding will be requested in the future to replace obsolete sirens and add warning sirens at the remaining sites. Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2008 and completed by December 2009.