| An advertising executive donated his time and provided the campaign theme of Mother Nature and her professional-wrestling sons Hurricane, Flash Flood, Earthquake, and Tsunami. |
Preparing communities to identify and minimize the potential impacts of hurricanes, earthquakes, or other natural disasters has gone from being just a good idea to being a federal requirement. Even before hazard mitigation planning became the rule, Hawaii had a coordinated effort under way to help residents and communities prepare for the forces of Mother Nature.
Because of the islands' vulnerability to a variety of natural disasters, the Hawaii Hazard Mitigation Forum was formed in 1998 to raise public awareness, coordinate and prioritize state mitigation activities, and advise the director and vice director of Hawaii's Civil Defense.
Since its creation, the group's diverse membership has launched a $500,000 public education campaign, and is helping the counties and state to draft disaster mitigation plans and perform risk assessments. The forum's efforts are being used as a model in the region and around the country.
In the Beginning
The list of hazards to which Hawaii is vulnerable is lengthy. Hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, drought, and landslides have all impacted the islands at one time or another.
"We always say it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when" the state will face one of these hazards, says Larry Kanda, hazard mitigation officer for Hawaii's Civil Defense Division.
While the forum's work will hopefully save property, and even lives, when the next disaster does strike, Kanda says he had a "selfish reason" for helping to create it.
"I was the only designated mitigation planner in Civil Defense when I was hired in 1992," he says. "There were a lot of activities going on at the time and they were not well coordinated. My basic thought was to get a group together to figure out what was happening in the state so we could better utilize our resources and do smart mitigation projects."
He says the idea took root after discussions he had in 1996 with Mike Hamnett, director of the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Hawaii. "We toyed with the idea of how to establish the forum. We didn't want an ad hoc group or a formal group that was established by law because that would get in the political realm."
Instead, the Civil Defense Division sent letters to everyone in the state who was involved in mitigation activities, including Hawaii's Coastal Zone Management Program, and asked them to participate. The group's bylaws were written by its 17 members, who represent county, state, and federal government, academia, and private industry.
Forum committees tackle projects, such as conducting a risk and vulnerability analysis, as well as addressing specific hazards to ensure all mitigation and planning possibilities are recognized. Forum committees can be made up of nonmembers, which eliminates any knowledge or technical gaps that might exist.
"It brings to the table a whole host of people that have experience in mitigation and have helped us come up with a complete strategy on how to deal with natural hazards," Kanda says.
The forum meets formally four times a year, but committees typically meet every two weeks.
The Big Match
The forum's first project was to develop a comprehensive public education and awareness campaign.
While some funding for the campaign was provided by the Coastal Zone Management Program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Civil Defense Division, and others, the majority of the estimated $500,000 project was donated services and resources.
An advertising executive donated his time and provided the campaign theme of Mother Nature and her professional-wrestling sons Hurricane, Flash Flood, Earthquake, and Tsunami. Private support enabled the forum to produce and air radio and television public service announcements featuring professional actors, and to print and distribute brochures, posters, newspaper inserts, and counter cards. University graduate students created a Web site for people to turn to for more information.
A follow-up survey of residents showed that 74 percent could name something they could do to reduce the risk of their house being damaged by a natural disaster.
Preparing for the Worst
Another of the forum's primary missions has been developing mitigation plans for the state and its four counties. This was fortuitous because in 2000, the U.S. Congress instructed FEMA to issue new planning requirements that states and communities have to meet in order to qualify for mitigation grant money and certain types of disaster assistance.
"From the very beginning, before FEMA came out with its requirements, I knew we had to complete a state strategy and help the counties do the same," Kanda says. "The forum's planning committee took on the responsibility."
FEMA's deadline for the completion of state and local mitigation plans is November 1, 2004, for post-disaster assistance. In the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program, county mitigation plans will be required as a condition for "brick and mortar" project grants after November 1, 2003.
The forum has funneled funding, technical assistance, and training and workshops to local governments and businesses to help the counties develop their mitigation plans.
Kanda says drafts of the county plans were to be complete by July 15. The state's mitigation plan is being "written around the county plans," and a draft is expected to be complete by September 15.
In addition to prioritizing the mitigation projects for the state, the forum is conducting a risk and vulnerability analysis using a geographic information system (GIS).
Expecting the Best
One of the best and most unexpected results of the forum, says Chris Chung, manager for the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program, is the "bridging of the gap between science, and resource and emergency managers."
"Collaboration, coordination, outreach—that's success. The forum is a great tool to have in accomplishing all of those things," Chung says.
The forum's success has caught the attention of other states and territories as well. Members of the forum are helping other islands in the region prepare mitigation plans, and states across the country have requested information and assistance.
While proud of the group's progress, Kanda still considers it "a project in the making."
"We formed this for the partnerships and to develop a smart approach to address our [hazards] issues and problems," he says. "We're continuing to learn things and want to expand. . . Partnering never ends."
For more information on Hawaii's Hazard Mitigation Forum, point your browser to www.mothernature-hawaii.com. You may also contact Larry Kanda at (808) 733-4301, ext. 550, or lkanda@scd.state.hi.us; Mike Hamnett at (808) 956-7459 or hamnett@hawaii.edu; or Chris Chung at (808) 587-2820 or cchung@dbedt.hawaii.gov. For more information on FEMA's hazard mitigation requirements, go to www.fema.gov.
