Mandatory Evacuation Order May 31, 2018

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MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER WHEREAS, Chapter 127A Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides for the establishment of County organizations for emergency management and disaster relief with the Mayor having direct responsibility and authority over emergency management within the County. WHEREAS, Chapter 127A Hawaii Revised Statutes and Chapter 7, Articles 1 and 2 of the Hawai'i County Code, establishes a Civil Defense Agency within the County of Hawaii and prescribes its powers, duties, and responsibilities, and Section 13-23 of the Hawai'i County Charter empowers the Mayor of the County to declare emergencies; and WHEREAS, on May 3, 2018, the Mayor of the County of Hawai'i and the Governor of the State of Hawai'i issued respective Emergency Proclamations declaring states of emergency due to active lava erupting along the East Rift Zone in Lower Puna, County and State of Hawai'i; and WHEREAS, on May 9, 2018, the Governor of the State of Hawaii issued a Supplementary Proclamation expanding the scope and application of his Proclamation in order to provide further emergency disaster relief by suspending additional sections of the Hawai'i Revised Statutes; and WHEREAS, the United State Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO), at this time cannot project an end date to this eruptive event and continue to issue warnings; and WHEREAS, Section 127A -13(b)(4) of Hawai'i Revised Statutes authorizes additional powers of the Mayor during a state of emergency including, but not limited to, the authority to direct and control the mandatory evacuation of the civilian population; and WHEREAS, it has become necessary to supplement my Proclamation of May 3, 2018 with a Mandatory Evacuation Order due to the continuous unstable volcanic nature of the fissure eruptions in Leilani Estates now posing an imminent danger to property and bodily injury risk to residents and emergency responders involved in rescue missions in the areas identified below.