Hawai‘i Wing Civil Air Patrol Prepares for Hurricane Olivia

PC: Civil Air Patrol

As Tropical Storm Olivia inched closer to the islands of Hawai‘i and Maui on Sept. 10, 2018, Hawai‘i
Wing launched aircrews to warn the public that a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect on those islands.

Planning for Hurricane Olivia began on Friday last week, with Hawai‘i Wing Civil Air Patrol, collaborating with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA).

Planning continued during the Hawai‘i Wing Annual Conference which took place at Hickam Air Force Base over the weekend. Wing Commander Col. Chantal Lonergan and Assistant Director of Communications 2nd Lt. Kamalama Kaikuana attended HIEMA briefings on Sunday and Kaikuana attended HIEMA briefings Monday.

From the Big Island, Incident Commander Lt. Col. Dana McLaughlin has been coordinating planning for mission requests from both HIEMA and FEMA. In an email to Hawai‘i Wing staff, Lt. Col. McLaughlin stated, “For storms like this, preparedness is always important. We are working closely with
both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and HIEMA today to make sure that everyone is
prepared before the storm hits.”

In addition to the pre-landfall flights being launched on Monday, damage assessment flights are anticipated after the storm’s passage.

Although Hurricane Olivia was downgraded to Tropical Storm status Monday afternoon, Hawai‘i residents are urged to prepare for the storm’s arrival. Hawai‘i Wing has been encouraging its members to
prepare their family, secure their property, check on the needs of their neighbors, and make plans for
evacuation or sheltering in place.

About Civil Air Patrol

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. Visit www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com or www.CAP.news for more information.