Hurricane Preparation in Hawaiʻi

Three things, done on a calm day, that matter more than anything you can do once a warning is issued.

1. Find out if you are in an evacuation zone

Do this while the weather is calm. Zones are known in advance, so you can plan around them. Knowing your zone converts a frightening, ambiguous forecast into a clear yes or no about whether you need to leave.

• Oʻahu Hazard ExplorerCity & County of Honolulu
• Hawaiʻi County zone lookupCounty of Hawaiʻi
• Maui and Kauaʻi zone lookupNOAA, takes an address, covers every island

2. Decide where you would go

Pick two places outside your zone now. Go to a public site only if you have no safer option. Two, not one, because the first may be unreachable, full or in the path itself.

• Official shelter sources by countyWhere each county publishes openings
• Oʻahu potential refuge sitesCity & County of Honolulu

3. Get alerts and pack a bag

Official alerts reach you when the power and the TV do not. Pack before conditions turn, not after a warning is issued, because by then the stores are the last place you want to be.

• Sign up for HNL AlertOʻahu emergency notifications
• Hawaiʻi Emergency ManagementState of Hawaiʻi
• NWS HonoluluNOAA, the office that issues Hawaiʻi forecasts and warnings

The kit

Nothing exotic, and no product list. Most of it is already in your house.

• Water, 1 gallon per person per day
• Food that needs no cooking
• Medications, plus batteries for any medical device
• Phone charger and a power bank
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• Cash in small bills
• ID and important documents in a bag
• First aid kit
• Pet food, leash or carrier, and their water
• Cooler with ice for medication that needs refrigeration

When to do what

• Before the season, June through November: know your zone, pick your two places, sign up for alerts, and check that your documents are somewhere you could grab in one move.
• When a watch is issued, conditions possible within about 48 hours: fuel up, fill water, pick up medication refills, and charge everything. This is the window where roads and stores still work.
• When a warning is issued, conditions expected within about 36 hours: finish up and be where you intend to stay. If you are leaving, leave early rather than late.

One thing people forget: a power outage can last far longer than the storm. After Tropical Storm Lala, Hawaiian Electric told rural Hawaiʻi Island residents to expect weeks or months. Plan for the days after, not just the hours during.