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Home My WebLink About2026-02-10 Emergency Proclamation Relating to the February 2026 Severe Weather EventC. Kimo Alameda, Ph. D Mayor Renee N.C. Schoen Corporation Counsel 7 S. Yoshimoto Assistant Corporation Counsel COUNTY OF HAWAI`I OFFICE OF THE CORPORATION COUNSEL 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325 • Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 • (808) 961-8251 • Fax (808) 961-8622 TRANSMITTAL LETTER DATE: February 10, 2026 M W TO: County Clerks — 25 Aupuni Street o Hilo, HI 96720 a FROM: Tracey Kameda, Legal Clerk III to c Cameron Takamura, Deputy Corporation Counsel W RE: Emergency Proclamation Relating to the February 2026 Severe Weather Event COPIES/ITEMS DATE DESCRIPTION 1 02-08-2026 Emergency Proclamation Relating to the February 2026 Severe Weather Event TRANSMITTED FOR: ® Information and Files ❑ Approval ❑ Signature ❑ Review and Comments ❑ Signature and Forwarding As Noted Below ❑ See Remarks Below ❑ Pursuant to Your Request ❑ Return Envelope Enclosed REMARKS: Please contact our office if you should have any questions. Thank you! Enclosures I p I� YIAIyIPJ._ FEB I 0 2026 Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D. Mayor William V. Brilhante, Jr. Managing Director Merrick Nishimoto Deputy Managing Director County of Hawai`i - 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 FEBRUARY 2026 SEVERE WEATHER EVENT By the authority vested in me as the Mayor of the County of Hawaii 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 ofHawai`i, hereby proclaim as follows: WHEREAS, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 127A, provides for the establishment of County of Hawaii (County) organizations for emergency management with the Mayor having direct responsibility and authority over emergency management within the County; and WHEREAS, HRS Chapter 127A, and Hawaii County Code (HCC) Chapter 7, establish a Civil Defense Agency within the County 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 ofHawai`i (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, on February 8, 2026, the National Weather Service had most recently issued a Flood Watch at approximately 3:18 A.M. and a High Wind Warning at approximately 5:34 A.M. for the entire State of Hawaii, and a Winter Storm Warning at approximately 3:27 A.M. for the Big Island summits above 11,000 feet, all in effect through February 9, 2026; and WHEREAS, the forecasted impacts to the County during this period and possibly extending into February 10, 2026, include heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flash floods, damaging winds from the Northeast to be at least 40 miles per hour with gusts over 60 miles per hour, and heavy snow accumulations from 10 to 16 inches on the Big Island summits; and WHEREAS, the forecasted impacts may cause flooding of roads, streams, and low-lying areas resulting in debris, landslides, and closures; strong winds may cause flying debris, downed County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. trees, downed power lines, damaged roofs, and power or communication outages; hazardous travel conditions; all of which may result or likely result in dangerous conditions to the lives, property, and environment of the County; and WHEREAS, it is critical that the County has sufficient resources and can expeditiously and effectively prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from the forecasted severe weather event, and protect the lives, property, environment, public health, welfare, and safety of the County, its residents, and visitors; NOW, THEREFORE, I, C. KIMO ALAMEDA, Mayor of the County of Hawaii, hereby declare, effective February 8, 2026, that a local state of emergency exists under HRS § 127A- 14(b), CCH § 13-23, and HCC § 7-1-6(a), because the forecasted severe weather event poses an imminent danger or threat of an emergency or disaster in the County of Hawaii; and I FURTHER DECLARE, that based on the conditions described above, the following measures are reasonably necessary to address the emergency or disaster: Invocation of Laws. Pursuant to HRS § 127A-12(c)(17), the Mayor may take any and all steps necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of HRS Chapter 127A, including the additional powers in HRS § 127A-13(b) which may only be exercised during an emergency period. I hereby authorize and invoke the following powers related to emergency management, if not already in effect: A. HRS §§ 127A-12(a)(5), 127A-13(b)(3), 127A-13(b)(4), and HCC §§ 7-1-6(d)(2) and 7-1-6(d)(4). I authorize and direct the Administrator of the County of Hawaii Civil Defense Agency, or their designee, to take appropriate actions to direct or control the following, as may be necessary for emergency management: 1. Alerts, warnings, notifications, activations; 2. Warnings and signals for alerts, and any type of warning device, system, or method to be used in connection therewith; 3. Partial or full mobilization of personnel, in advance of, or in response to, an actual emergency or disaster; 4. The conduct of civilians and the movement and cessation of movement of pedestrians and vehicular traffic during, before, and after alerts, emergencies, or disasters; 5. Shut off water mains, gas mains, or electric power connections, or suspend other services; and 6. The mandatory evacuation of the civilian population. 2 B. FIRS § 127A-12(c)(6). Pursuant to and as authorized by FIRS § 127A-12(c)(6), the provisions in HRS Chapter 103D and HRS §§ 103-50, 103-53, 103-55, 105-1 to 105-10, and 464-4 shall not apply to any emergency management functions to the extent that the provisions, in whole or in part, impede or tend to impede the expeditious discharge of the functions, or that compliance therewith is impracticable due to existing conditions. C. HRS § 127A-12(c)(11). Each public utility, or any person owning, controlling, or operating a critical infrastructure facility, is hereby required to protect and safeguard the public utility's or the person's property, or to provide for such protection and safeguarding; and provide for the protection and safeguarding of all critical infrastructure and key resources; provided that the protection and safeguarding may include the regulation or prohibition of public entry thereon, or the permission of the entry upon terms and conditions as I may prescribe. D. HRS § 127A-12(c)(14), CCH § 13-21, and HCC § 7-1-5(a). direct all County agencies and officers to cooperate with and extend their services, materials, and facilities as may be necessary to address the emergency or disaster. E. I direct the Director of Finance to administer the disaster and emergency fund in accordance with CCH § 10-17. I FURTHER DECLARE, that this Emergency Proclamation Relating to the February 2026 Severe Weather Event shall terminate automatically sixty (60) days after its issuance, unless extended or terminated by a separate or supplementary proclamation. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: O )'-Renee N.C. Schoen Corporation Counsel Done at the County of Hawaii, this 81h day of February 2026 C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D. Mayor County ofHawai`i 4 h