Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan: Executive Summary

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Executive Summafv Mitigation Strategy Mitigation goals and objectives to eliminate or reduce risk include: 1. Goal: Continually strive to improve the state of the art for the identification of hazard areas,prediction capabilities, and warning systems. Objectives: 1.1. Prepare GIS maps for all hazards with the best available information and formulate a strategy to maintain/upgrade the data. 1.2. Improve applicability of modeling systems to Hawaii Island conditions for hazard mapping,mitigation planning, and scenario training purposes. 1.3. Improve flood prediction and field-monitoring systems. 1.4. Establish a warning system that is cognizant of warning siren gaps that require supplemental field warning, which strives to fill those gaps based on population, that is routinely tested and maintained, and that educates the public on proper response. 1.5. Establish a rigorous reporting system after each major event to document the extent and cause of damage, lessons learned, and actions required to improve hazard mitigation,preparedness,response, or recovery. 2. Goal: Control future development and retrofit existing structures within hazard areas to minimize losses. 2.1. Update the building code to cost-effectively resist earthquake, hurricane, and flood susceptibility. 2.2. Periodically review the effectiveness of current land-use-related plans, codes, and standards to control future development within hazard areas. 2.3. Develop incentives, such as tax deductions and insurance discounts, to encourage retrofitting of existing structures to resist earthquake, hurricane, and flood susceptibility. 3. Goal: Ensure that all emergency response critical facilities and communication systems remain operational during hazard events. 3.1. Harden all essential emergency facilities and communication systems to withstand earthquake and hurricane forces (Ensure road access to hospitals remains clear and that all hospitals have helicopter access, no emergency facilities should be located in the 100-year flood-prone areas). 4. Goal: Ensure that all lifeline infrastructures are able to withstand hazard events or have contingency plans to quickly recover after a disaster. 4.1. Harden ports and airports to enable post-disaster operations. 4.2. Harden major highway segments that have no alternate bypass to withstand earthquake and 100-year floods as well as rockfalls/landslide closure. 4.3. Harden fuel storage facilities and ensure distribution network to critical facilities. 4.4. Reduce vulnerability of electrical system to all hazards. 4.5. Develop water systems that resist damage to all hazards and contingency plans to truck water. xiv Hawaii County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan