2018-10-30 - Lava Fifth Supplementary Emergency Proclamation

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WHEREAS, on May 30, 2018, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii issued Mayor's Emergency Rule #1 restricting access to the area containing Kapoho Beach Lots, Vacationland and Kapoho Farm Lots; and WHEREAS, on May 31, 2018, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii issued a Mandatory Evacuation Order for identified areas within the Leilani Estates subdivision; and WHEREAS, on July 2, 2018, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii issued a Third Supplementary Emergency Proclamation providing additional real property tax adjustments and relief; and WHEREAS, on August 31, 2018, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii issued a Fourth. Supplementary Emergency Proclamation continuing the state of emergency and issuing a prohibition from people entering or remaining on the lava fields, including a fifty(50) yard safety.buffer area; and WHEREAS, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO), cannot project WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY AN end date to this eruptive event and has noted that previous eruptive events in the area have continued eruptive activity after lengthy periods of lull; and WHEREAS, the USGS HVO has identified many hazards when traversing over lava flow fields, including subsurface residual molten lava and gases that may not be visible; due to the hazards involved, the USGS HVO and Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency have noted that injuries while traversing over lava flow fields are common and deaths have occurred. WHEREAS, some evacuees of the eruptive event remain in temporary shelters provided by non-profit entities where the operational costs of maintain these shelters are mounting and becoming a hardship; and WHEREAS, section 127A -13(b) provides that in the event of a local state of emergency the Mayor may relieve hardship, inequities or obstructions of public health, safety or welfare by suspending county laws in whole or in part; and NOW, THEREFORE, I, Harry Kim, Mayor of the County of Hawaii, do hereby proclaim and declare that a state of emergency due to this eruptive event continues to exist and continues to pose threat of imminent disaster on Hawaii Island and that all provisions of my prior Proclamations, except for the fifty (50) yard buffer surrounding the lava flow field shall remain in full force and effect, effective, October 30, 2018, and continuing thereon until December 29, 2018 or unless terminated by a separate proclamation, which ever shall occur first. 2