HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS After Hurricane Lane's close call in 2018, officials warn people to get ready now BY LEEANN LAMBERT
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earing up each year for the hurricane season in Hawaii that runs from June through November, experts say people who live on the North Shore of Oahu should have a 14-to-21-day supply of food, water and basic necessities like prescriptions and personal hygiene products. They said people should have everything they would need to be self-sufficient for as long as possible when a disaster happens. They added some kind of disaster - be it hurricane, tsunami, flood, earthquake or fire - will happen at some point.
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“It’s not if it will hit, but when it will hit,” said Elder Paul Crookston, who s completed his missionary service at the Polynesian Cultural Center. He is an engineer and has experience in disaster management. “We are not trying to plant fear,” he added. “We want you to be prepared.” With only one road, Kamehameha Highway, linking the North Shore area to Honolulu, when a disaster strikes, local emergency officials said state and county resources will be focused on where the biggest population of people are in Honolulu and getting ports, airports and hospitals up and running again.
Local leaders said being able to care of yourself and your family will be necessary on the North Shore, and by being personally prepared, it is also easier to help your neighbors. “We want to help each other get personally prepared so we can help others too,” said Elder Crookston, and “do what the Savior would do.” Officials from BYU–Hawaii, the PCC, Hawaii Reserves Inc., the local Church stake presidents, local emergency officials and more said the local disaster plan worked when Hurricane Lane threatened to strike Oahu in August of 2018, but they
