Gov. Josh Green said the state has identified more than $1 billion in disaster recovery and resilience costs from storms so far this year.
The governor wants to spend at least $319 million in planned resilience and mitigation projects, including building a new state emergency operations center for $80 million, hardening Honolulu Harbor in case of storm surges or tsunami for $175 million, and $20 million to study and situate an alternate harbor in case Honolulu Harbor is damaged.
Green said that the state has identified approximately $686 million in damage and recovery costs from the Kona low storms in March, the Kona earthquake in May, Hurricane Lala in August and Hurricane Lowell earlier this month.
Costs were laid out at a press conference that also showed the latest forecast for Tropical Storm Nolo, which was expected to bring up to 30 inches of rain to parts of Hawaiʻi Island this weekend.
The state was looking at five sources of revenue to cover the costs, including federal disaster relief, state insurance, additional legislative appropriations, the rainy day fund, and Green Fee revenue.
Green said he thought an alternate primary state harbor would be on a neighbor island, particularly Hawaiʻi Island, and he said the statewide EOC could be located in Wahiawā or Mānoa on Oʻahu.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
