Over 5,000 Join Rep. Gabbard Hurricane, Disaster Preparedness Town Hall
Big Island Now stock photo: Hurricane Irene, International Space Station, 2011.
More than 5,000 residents of Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District participated in Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (Hawai‘i-02) interactive “Telephone Town Hall” on hurricane and disaster preparedness Monday evening, June 26, 2017.
The congresswoman was joined by:
- Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi
- Anna Foust of Maui Emergency Management Agency
- Elton Ushio of Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency
- Talmadge Magno of Hawaiʻi Island Civil Defense Agency
- Melvin Kaku of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management
These experts answered questions from the community, discussed the forecast for the upcoming hurricane season, and reviewed new recommendations that Hawaiʻi residents prepare an “emergency kit” with a minimum of 14 days of food, water and other supplies.
Hurricane season is from June 1 to Nov. 30; the 2017 hurricane season is expected to be more active than normal.
To listen to a recording of the telephone townhall, click here.
“Hawaiʻi is the most isolated population in the world, and the importance of being informed and prepared before a disaster hits cannot be overstated,” said Rep. Gabbard. “With more than 5,000 participants across our islands listening in and asking questions during our telephone town hall, we discussed issues like keeping pets safe during emergencies, how people with disabilities can get assistance during an evacuation, hurricane home insurance, the status of emergency plans for our limited access rural communities, and proposed federal funding cuts to organizations like FEMA. Mahalo to everyone who took the time to participate in this event by sharing their ideas and concerns, and helping all of us increase our awareness of how to better prepare our families and communities.”
Rep. Gabbard has hosted past telephone town halls on a variety of topics, including dengue fever, the war in Syria, and general updates in Congress, and will host an upcoming telephone town hall on veterans’ healthcare in Hawaiʻi next month.
Information about preparing for this year’s hurricane season is available online.
For county-specific preparedness tips, use the following resources:
RELATED LINKS
HI-EMA Urges Preparation for Hurricane Season
Top Six Preparedness Tips for Hurricane Season
Hawaiian Electric Urges Hurricane Readiness
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