David Y. Ige

HONOLULU— Oahu residents are advised to prepare a 7-day Disaster Supply Kit. Although Hurricane Guillermo may weaken before the system approaches the Hawaiian Islands next week, strong winds, heavy rains and high surf could potentially result in evacuations or other problems.

With Hawaii’s remoteness, in a major disaster it could be as long as a week before a full relief operation is in place.  Hawaii residents need to be prepared to take care of all of their emergency needs and those of their family for at least a week following a major island or state-wide disaster.

7-Day Disaster Supply Kit

Your disaster supply kit should contain enough of the following items to last for 7-days:

Water – One gallon of water per person per day for seven-days for drinking and sanitation

Food – Non-perishable food that does not require cooking.  Popular local foods such as Spam, corned beef, and Vienna sausage

Eating Utensils – Plates, mess kits, forks, and chop sticks.  Don’t forget a non-electric can opener for canned foods

Radio – Battery-powered or hand crank radio with NOAA Weather alert

Light – Flashlight, portable fluorescent, or LED light

Spare batteries – Check annually

First Aid – Get a first aid kit and consider enrolling in a certified first aid, CPR, and AED course

Whistle – Important for signaling for help.  A whistle carries much farther than the human voice and uses less energy than yelling

Dust Mask – Helps to filter contaminated air

Sanitation – Moist towelettes, toilet paper, 5-gallon bucket, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

Tools – Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, duct tape

Maps – Local area maps

Prescription – Special medications and glasses

Baby – Infant formula and diapers

Pets – Pet food and extra water for your pet

Emergency and Preparedness Information

In addition to being prepared residents should maintain a high level of awareness anytime an active tropical cyclone system is near the Hawaiian Islands.  The Department of Emergency Management will issue Emergency Public Information over TV and radio.  In addition residents can receive emergency information via:

NOAA Weather Radio – NOAA Weather Alert Radios can notify you 24 hours a day to hazards in our area including severe weather, hurricanes and tropical storms, and tsunami events.   In addition, many of these units can activate other warning devices such as a strobe light to provide a visual warning.  These radios are available from many Oahu electronics and department stores.

NIXLE Messaging – The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) highly recommends signing up to receive emergency email and text messages sent directly to your cell phone from Nixle.  Go to www.nixle.com/dem to set up your account.   Standard text messaging charges may apply.

Social Media – DEM will also issue information updates via Twitter www.twitter.com/Oahu_DEM and Facebook www.facebook.com/OahuDEM.  NOTE: DEM Twitter and Facbook pages should not be used to request emergency assistance.

ReadyHawaii App – Be ready for hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural or man-made disasters with the official Ready Hawaii app. With Ready Hawaii you can also access the tsunami and new Extreme Tsunami Evacuation Zone maps. Preparing for disasters is one of the most important things you can do for the safety of you and your family; this app will help you to make a plan, make a kit, and be informed! Ready Hawaii can be downloaded for free on iTunes or Google Play.