The County of Hawai‘i has launched a new website to provide more accurate, up-to-date information about programs and efforts to recover from the 2018 K?lauea eruption.
Before the website launched, program coordinators could only be contacted through email. Now, the county has created a platform for community members to comment on resources and view more information freely.
Resources for residents on the site include programs and information about planning and implementing recovery steps, a recovery-related events calendar, and multimedia stories from the eruption.
Alexandra Slous, K?lauea Disaster Recovery Program coordinator, said community members should return to the website periodically.
“I think it’s a really valuable resource to bookmark the website and check back regularly because we are continuing to develop content,” said Slous. “Recovery is a long-term process, and new resources will become available as the process unfolds.”
Among the information residents and affected communities might find particularly important are housing recovery resources and lava hazards.
The website features stories from a volcano scientist and a photographer who captured the volcanic event. The K?lauea Disaster Recovery Program is asking residents or survivors of the eruption to share their stories of the disaster.
Users can sign up for a recovery newsletter and get automated updates on recovery events and new story additions to the site. If you have information about an event that is not already on the community calendar, program coordinators encourage submissions through forms on the website.
Slous said the K?lauea Disaster Recovery Program is working on three initiatives: developing a case management program for residents and working one-on-one with those affected; creating temporary access for those who use Highway 132; and grant programs for recovery.