Hawaii Recognized as First State to be Tsunami and Storm Ready

The National Weather Service has declared Hawaii the first state in the nation to be both tsunami- and storm-ready.

“This is an important accomplishment for the state and it shows the leadership of the local civic leaders, the emergency managers and the state government overall,” said David L. Johnson, director of the service. “I want to try to get every vulnerable coast community in America to follow Hawaii’s lead to become storm ready, first of all, and tsunami ready to be able to help protect our citizens better.”

Johnson said the state’s four counties earned the tsunami- and storm-ready designation, making Hawaii the first state to achieve the status. He said only 23 communities in the nation are tsunami-ready.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said the state has taken several steps to be better prepared for the next tsunami, including having emergency operations center in every county, a statewide siren system, evacuation maps in phone books, regular drills and public education programs.

Johnson presented Gov. Linda Lingle a plaque that recognized Hawaii’s honor.

“However, as we have learned this year from the Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, we can never be fully prepared,” Lingle said.

To achieve the tsunami- and storm-ready status, a community must:
* Establish a 24-hour emergency operations center.
* Have more than one way to receive severe warning warnings and forecasts.
* Create a system that monitors local weather conditions.
* Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars.
* Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm