Abercrombie Declares Statewide Emergency

Gov. Neil Abercrombie today signed an emergency proclamation in anticipation of the arrival of two tropical cyclones in Hawaii.

Hurricane Iselle is forecast to impact Hawaii Thursday evening through late Friday. Hurricane Julio is a few days behind Iselle and may impact the islands as soon as Sunday.

The proclamation, which includes the entire state, activates the Major Disaster Fund set aside by the Legislature for disaster relief. It also allows easier access to emergency resources at the state and federal levels, along with the suspension of certain laws as needed for emergency purposes, the governor’s office said in a release.

“We want to make sure we are doing everything possible to protect the public,” said Gov. Abercrombie in a statement. “This proclamation improves the state’s ability to respond quickly to any potential impacts from both storms.”

The disaster emergency relief period for the proclamation begins today and continues through Aug. 15, 2014.

Recommended preparedness actions may be found on the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency website.