Hurricane season in the Pacific runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are anticipating up to four tropical cyclones, weather phenomena characterized by a system of winds rotating around a low-pressure center, across the central Pacific hurricane region this season. A typical season has four to five tropical cyclones, which include tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.
NOAA’s John Bravender stressed that even a normal or below normal year like this one still requires preparation.
“Don't get lulled into a sense of complacency with a below normal season outlook that really shouldn't have any bearing on our personal preparedness,” he said.
Will Luna, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH) Emergency Manager, added that just because a major hurricane hasn’t hit Hawaii since 1992 doesn’t mean it’s not possible. He reminded Sailors and civilians to ensure they’re prepared for a disaster.
“Emergency Management programs at the region level, installation level, at the state level with Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA)s, and at the City and County of Honolulu are all working night and day to make sure that we have done everything we can to mitigate any impacts that a major hurricane could cause. Having said that, it's going to take the whole community being prepared to really get us where we’re as safe as we can possibly be,” Luna explained.
If a hurricane threatened Hawaii, tropical cyclone conditions of readiness (TCCOR) levels would be used to indicate how close a destructive storm is and what actions should be taken, explained Lt. Stephen Kyle Wheeler, the Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) officer in charge and TCCOR coordinator at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).
TCCOR 5 is 96 hours out from the onset of destructive winds, TCCOR 4 is 72 hours, TCCOR 3 is 48 hours, TCCOR 2 is 24 hours and TCCOR 1 is 12 hours. There is also TCCOR 1E (emergency) indicating that winds of 50 knots or greater are occurring.
“When you talk about preparedness, the Ready Navy model is what we live by,” said Luna. The Navy Ready model emphasizes three steps: be informed before, during, and after an incident; make a written family emergency plan; and build an emergency supply kit.
HIEMA recommends having a 14-day supply of food and water for each family member. Luna recommends other essentials such as a flashlight, a radio, low denomination currency, medications and extra clothes.
A solid emergency preparedness plan should include an agreed upon meeting place in the event family members are separated and a point of contact who lives out of state and can serve as a conduit for information by relaying news about affected family members to other relatives. Luna recommends family members save emergency numbers on a piece of paper and keep it in their wallet in case cell phones do not work and contact lists cannot be accessed.
Taking steps to prepare for a disaster will make a real-world disaster more manageable, according to Luna.
“Community preparedness is one of the biggest tools you can use when it comes to disaster response, because it helps mitigate the damage that will happen. The community is ready to go. They're prepared, they're knowledgeable,” Luna said. “A prepared, self-sufficient community typically will see fewer impacts, fewer people that need help because they prepared ahead of time.”
The full list of volunteer organizations active in disasters for Hawaii is located at
www.hawaiistatevoad.org. The Ready Navy website is located at
ready.navy.mil.