David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is informing the public of preparations it is taking in advance of possible weather impacts from Tropical Storm Olivia and encourages travelers to take the following actions:

Airports
In general, State of Hawaii airports will remain open unless there is damage to the runway or terminal facilities. The Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole may restrict passenger boarding and deplaning during high winds or heavy rains. Operational status for the seven major Hawaii airports can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/airports/emergency-alerts/

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.

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

Harbors
HDOT Harbors Division continues to protect Hawaii’s commercial ports–the lifeline for Hawaii’s communities for food, medical supplies, clothing, household goods and practically everything we consume.

Commercial Harbors statewide 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.

More information on Hurricane Preparedness for Hawaii’s commercial harbors can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/harbors/hurricane-preparedness/

Highways
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 (BMPs) 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, please call the respective Highways Maintenance Hotlines and follow the voice prompts:

• Oahu: (808) 831-6714 or email [email protected]
• Hawaii Island: (808) 933-8866
• Maui: (808) 873-3535
• Kauai: (808) 241-3000

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 https://hidot.hawaii.gov/weather-advisories/ and over HDOT’s social media accounts, https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiDepartmentOfTransportation/ and https://twitter.com/DOTHawaii

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Shelly Kunishige
Department of Transportation
Public Affairs Office
Office: (808) 587-2161
E-mail: [email protected]