Maui County hosted an expo at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului on Saturday to encourage residents to prepare for disasters.
Preparation is top of mind in the summer months, when the risk of wildfires and hurricanes is higher.
Several local and national organizations tabled at the event to answer residents' questions and provide resources.
Gerald Johnson, who heads a FEMA Hazard Mitigation task force, spoke to attendees about the importance of knowing what disasters they are most vulnerable to and having a plan they can initiate "at a moment’s notice."
He emphasized that disaster preparation is particularly important for kūpuna.
"A lot of our elderly citizens don't have the means to get in a car and drive if an event happens, so they need to know where they're going, how they're going to get there, and plan all this in advance," Johnson said.
Jeanette Rucci, peer advocate for the Hawaiʻi Disability Rights Center, pointed out that people with disabilities may have trouble finding accessible places to safely shelter if they have to evacuate during a disaster.
“My biggest request to people is, if you have a problem, reach out, because there are places you can call if you have a disability, if you need some accommodation,” Rucci said.
Preparing your property for disaster
Dennis Hwang said it's also important to take steps to prepare your property for disaster. With the support of the University of Hawai’i Sea Grant College Program, Hwang authored the "Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards," which walks readers through modifications they can make to strengthen their homes.
Hwang's number one tip: Tie your roof to your walls.
“Whenever there's high wind events, especially during a hurricane, the roof actually blows off the house and the main reason is the connection between the roof and the wall is not very strong,” Hwang said.
While newer homes likely have stronger roof-to-wall connections, Hwang said the majority of Hawaiʻi’s older constructions need to be retrofitted.
Fortunately, Hwang said it's a relatively easy fix. Hurricane clips — small metal joints that can be screwed into both the roof and the wall to hold them more tightly together — can be installed by a licensed contractor or an especially savvy homeowner.
Navigating the recovery process
Several disaster experts at the expo also had advice on how Hawaiʻi residents can navigate the disaster recovery process.
The national organization Operation HOPE has been working on Maui to provide financial disaster recovery services for individuals and businesses impacted by the Aug. 8 wildfires.
JJ Neimann is the program manager and community liaison for Operation HOPE. She advised business owners to make multiple digital and hard copies of their financial documents and other key information so that they can ensure they’ll have it on hand in case of an emergency.
Operation HOPE is currently operating out of the Maui Research & Technology Center in Kihei, and Neimann said residents are welcome to visit their offices for more information on financial preparedness and recovery.
“We created a partner database of 230 partners that are out there. So if you need support for something, if we're not able to provide it, I'm happy to try to help find who can help you,” Neimann said.
Tanya Kealoha-Schafer is a board member for PONO Legal, which was founded in response to the Aug. 8 fires by University of San Francisco law professor Heidi Ho, who was born and raised in Maui.
Kealoha-Schafer said the organization is willing to help residents negotiate the legal hurdles of the recovery process, free of charge. They've worked with homeowners going through the permitting process to rebuild damaged or destroyed property in Lahaina, renters who lost lease agreements after the fire, and residents who are having challenges with their insurance claims.
"The main thing we want people to know is just to reach out,” Kealoha-Schafer said, noting that some people might be too overwhelmed, concerned about language barriers, or worried about possible repercussions to their immigration status if they sought legal advice.
"We're from Maui, so we just want to help our community,” Kealoha-Schafer said.
