2025-07-30 Emergency Proclamation Relating to the Tsunami Event

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C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D. Mayor William V. Brilhante, Jr. Managing Director Merrick Nishimoto Deputy Managing Director County of Hawaii - Office of the .Mayor 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • Phone .(808) 961-8211 • Fax (808) 961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg C •= Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 Phone (808) 323-4444 • Fax (808) 323-4440 EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION RELATING TO THE TSUNAMI EVENT RESULTING FROM THE EARTHQUAKE OFF THE COAST OF KAMCHATKA RUSSIA By the authority vested in me as the Mayor of the County of Hawaii (County) by the Constitution and laws of the State of Hawaii, and by the Charter and ordinances of the County of Hawaii, to prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters, I, C. KIMO ALAMEDA, Mayor of the County of Hawaii, hereby determine, designate, and proclaim as follows: WHEREAS, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 127A, provides for the establishment of County organizations for emergency management with the Mayor having direct responsibility and authority over emergency management within the County of Hawaii; and WHEREAS, HRS Chapter 127A, and Hawaii County Code (HCC) Chapter 7, establish a Civil Defense Agency within the County of Hawaii and prescribes its powers, duties, and responsibilities; and WHEREAS, HRS § 127A-14(b) empowers the Mayor to declare the existence of a local state of emergency in the County by proclamation if the Mayor finds that an emergency or a disaster has occurred or that there is imminent danger or threat of an emergency or a disaster in any portion of the County, as those terms are defined in HRS § 127A-2; and WHEREAS, the Charter of the County of Hawaii (CCH) § 13-23 and HCC § 7-1-6(a) also empower the Mayor to declare a state of disaster or emergency by proclamation; and WHEREAS, the National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (NWS PTWC) issued a bulletin at 1:33PM HST on July 29, 2025, that an earthquake occurred off the east coast of Kamchatka Russia (52.2 North 160.0 East) at 1:25PM HST on July 29, 2025, with a preliminary magnitude of 8.0; WHEREAS, the NWS PTWC issued a tsunami watch for the State of Hawaii effective at 1:33PM HST based on the available data that a tsunami may have been generated by the earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas far from the epicenter with the estimated earliest arrival of the first tsunami wave being 7:17PM HST on July 29, 2025; and WHEREAS, the NWS PTWC issued a tsunami warning for the State of Hawaii at 2:43PM and upgraded the earthquake assessment to an 8.7 magnitude stating that a tsunami has County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.