Civil Defense Updates: Closures and Shelter Openings

OLIVIA TUESDAY FORECAST UPDATES: http://bigislandnow.com/2018/09/11/5-am-significant-impacts-expected-from-olivia/

UPDATES ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 7 PM

The American Red Cross and the Department of Parks and Recreation have opened an emergency shelter at the Waimea Community Center.

This shelter is for your convenience; there is no mandatory evacuation at this time. If you choose to evacuate to a shelter, food and bedding are not provided.

• Spencer, Mahukona, Kapa‘a, Keokea, and Laupahoehoe Point Beach Parks are closed until further notice.
• The Department of Education reports that all schools on Hawai‘i Island will be open tomorrow.
• The Hawaii Police Department reports that all roads are open at this time.
• Be aware that park and roadway closures may occur without notice.

4 PM

Civil Defense Hurricane Olivia reported that of he Central Pacific Hurricane Center reports that as of 5:00 am, Tropical Storm Olivia is located 300 miles ENE of Hilo, with sustained winds of 65 mph.

The National Weather Service forecasts Tropical Storm Olivia to continue slowly weakening.

Due to Tropical Storm Olivia, the following are in effect:

SCHOOLS

The Department of Education reports that all public schools are open for the Island of Hawai‘i.

Connections Public Charter School in Hilo will be closed today due to the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Olivia. For updates, go online or visit individual school websites.

After-school and evening activities are cancelled on Sept. 11, for Kamehameha Schools’ campuses, Community Education programs and community sites on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Molokaʻi due to approaching Tropical Storm Olivia.

3:15 PM: KS Hawai‘i will be open on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

4:30 PM: Kua O Ka Lā New Century Public Charter School in Hilo and Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School will be closed on Wednesday, Sept. 12.

LIBRARIES

1:45 PM: Due to the uncertainty of Tropical Storm Olivia, public service hours for state libraries may be temporarily affected to ensure the safety of our employees. Updates on public service hours will be posted online.

POST OFFICES

Post offices across the state will be open and mail will be delivered, weather and local conditions permitting.

ROADS

Hawai‘i Police Department reports there are no road closures at this time.

HDOT Highways Division will not be preemptively closing any state routes in anticipation of Olivia; however, motorists are advised to use caution on roadways with a history of flooding, landslide, rockfall or tree fall hazards.

HDOT Highways Division staff on all islands have been engaged in routine pre-storm preparation, such as clearing drain inlets, catch basins, culverts, and other waterways and notifying those doing construction on state routes to remove best management practices that typically reduce the capacity of drains to filter water entering our storm water management system. If you spot a BMP left in place on a state highway, call the respective Highways Maintenance Hotlines and follow the voice prompts:

• Hawai‘i Island: (808) 933-8866

Highways maintenance staff on all islands have secured loose items in their baseyards, prepared equipment and vehicles for dispatch, and topped off fuel. Crews have been placed on standby but will not be sent out in unsafe storm conditions.

Motorists are advised to stay off the road during the onset of high winds and potential flash flood events. HDOT Public Affairs staff is on standby to provide round-the-clock notifications of any closures on state routes through the HDOT website at http://hidot.hawaii.gov/weather-advisories/ and over HDOT’s social media accounts,https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiDepartmentOfTransportation/ and https://twitter.com/DOTHawaii

General advice for motorists includes:

• Keep your gas tank at least half-full in case you need to evacuate or move to higher ground.
• Make sure your windshield wipers are in good condition and use your headlights if you are driving in rainy conditions. Turning on your headlights increases your visibility and helps make other drivers aware of you.
• Do not drive through fast moving water or water of indeterminable depth. You could stall out your car or your vehicle could be washed away. As little as 24-inches of moving water could possibly wash away a vehicle.
• Do not drive in high winds, especially in high profile vehicles as you risk your vehicle being pushed by winds or rolled over.
• Following high wind events be cautious on the road as debris and live electrical lines could cause damage to you and your vehicle.

PARKS & FORESTS

8:30 AM: The DLNR Division of State Parks has decided to keep all Hawai’i Island park units open today, based on the current track of Tropical Storm Olivia.

• 4 PM: All county and state parks are open at this time. Closures of parks and roadways may occur without notice

PREVIOUS: All state parks on the east side of Hawai‘i Island are closed.

West-side parks-will be evaluated for closing as the storm approaches

All closures remain in effect until further notice pending impact assessments.

People with camping and lodging permits have been notified via email about refunds or rescheduling their visits.

Additional forest lands and parks on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i may be closed as the trajectory of Hurricane Oliva becomes clearer.

Parks and Recreation reports that all county parks are open.

HARBORS

Sept. 11: HDOT Harbors Division continues to protect Hawaii’s commercial ports—the lifeline for Hawai‘i’s communities for food, medical supplies, clothing, household goods and practically everything we consume.

All state small boat harbors, operated by the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) will remain open during the storm and provide safe harbor for small vessels.

Commercial Harbors statewide as of Sept. 11 have been placed in Zulu by the United States Coast Guard Captain of the Port. Port Condition Zulu is set within 12 hours of the expected onset of tropical storm (or gale force) winds. During Zulu, all movements within commercial harbors require approval of the Captain of the Port.

Additional HDOT requirements have been communicated from last week to harbor users to remind them of their responsibilities to keep their vessels in full operating capabilities during Hurricane Preparedness Season. Failure to evacuate ports prior to Zulu puts the supply system everyone in the islands depends on at risk, either from damage caused by vessels striking piers or from sunken vessels becoming navigational hazards in the harbor.

Commercial harbors in Hawai‘i and Maui Counties were previously put into port condition Yankee at 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 10. At port condition Yankee, no vessels may enter, transit, or remain within the harbor safety zone without permission of the Captain of the Port.

Condition Yankee is set 24 hours in advance of potential tropical storm force winds (39 to 73 mph). Should Olivia continue as forecasted, Honolulu Harbor and Kalaeloa Harbor were expected to be put under Yankee at 6 p.m. on Sept. 10 with Kaua‘i harbors to follow at 10 p.m.

Sept. 11: Young Brothers cancelled Hilo/Kaunakakai/Kaumalapau sailings on Sept. 10. No cargo will be accepted until further notice.

AIRPORTS

Air travelers with confirmed tickets for travel into or out of Hawaii airports are encouraged to check with their airline for potential flight delays, cancelations, or travel waivers before going to the airport.

In general, State of Hawai‘i airports will remain open unless there is damage to the runway or terminal facilities; however, the Ellison Onizuka International Airport at Keahole may restrict passenger boarding and deplaning during high winds or heavy rains.

Hilo International Airport, Kahului Airport, the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and Līhue Airport have activated their visual paging systems to alert incoming passengers to the warnings associated with Tropical Storm Olivia.