Kauaʻi County’s latest hazard mitigation plan names wildfire as the island’s top climate and weather threat.
About 75% of Kauaʻi’s population lives in medium and high hazard fire zones, and more than $13 billion worth of property and assets across the county are at risk of burning down.
Kauaʻi is also vulnerable to typhoons, tsunamis, and other weather disasters. Mayor Derek Kawakami approved the newest version of Kauaʻi’s hazard mitigation plan earlier this summer. It lays out 40 actions the county can take to prepare for future emergencies.
They include equipping water pumps with emergency generators, updating county IT systems, and identifying additional places around the island that can act as refuges during disasters.
FEMA has approved the plan. Each county must have a mitigation plan in place and update it every five years in order to remain eligible for certain types of federal assistance.
