Only 13% of Kauai households maintain a two-week supply of food and necessities in case of emergency, according to the latest Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, or CASPER, survey from the Kauaʻi District Health Office.
The district health office has been conducting these surveys since 2017, and most recently questioned residents in June.
The survey selects 30 random census blocks throughout the island, and then seven households within those are chosen. It is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention method.
Kauaʻi Deputy District Health Officer Lauren Guest said it helps guide state and county emergency response actions.
"When we assess how many households plan to seek public shelter for each category of hurricane, that allows our mass care partners to better plan for hurricane sheltering needs," Guest said.
During the pandemic, the survey was used to assess how households were faring during the early days of quarantine in April 2020.
Today, the effects of the pandemic are still rippling.
"Most households appear to have returned to their pre-pandemic financial state, however, some households are still struggling," Guest said. "This emphasizes the importance of continued government and social service agency efforts to link those who need support to the programs that are currently available."
Guest said preparedness could potentially be linked to financial stability and prioritization.
"The survey doesn't ask households why their level of preparedness was lower than it might have been previously, but I think it probably has to do with competing demands," Guest said. "This has been a really challenging couple of years."
The survey also found that overall concern for COVID-19 has declined, and most surveyed households reported that all or most of their household were up to date on COVID-related vaccines, Guest said.
Guest says the survey also shows that the biggest challenge facing those living on Kauaʻi is housing.
Read the full CASPER report here.
