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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-12 Emergency Proclamation Relating to the March 2026 Kona Low Weather EventMerrick Nishimoto uAle County of Hawai'l - office of the Nayor 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 a Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 a Phone (908) 961-8211 * Fax-(-808) 961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokillole Hwy., Bldg C * Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i 96740 Phone (808) 323-4444 Is Fax (808) 323-4440 ............. pIqi�pii�ii li�l��ii!�l�ili��I�ll��l�l��l���,� 11111111111 i 1 1 1 anct laws orffe--SMa eof flawall, ana 5y me K-narteranuorumancesUl Lilt: C011ILY 01 rnidW- 1, prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters, 1, C. KIMO ALAMEDA, Mayor of the County of Hawai'i, hereby proclaim as follows: WHEREAS, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 127A, provides for the . . . . . . . . . . IT-' '11'' 1 the Mayor having direct responsibility and authority over emergency management within the County; and WHEREAS, RRS Chapter 127A, and Hawai'i County Code (HCC) Chapter 7, establish a Civil Defense Agency within the County and prescribes its powers, duties, and responsibilities; and WHEREAS, HRS § 12 7A- 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 1111111liij�jil!!I�I� q, WHEREAS, as of 4:00 P.M. © March 12, 2026, the National Weather Service had forecasted a Kona low pressure weather system affecting the State of Hawai'i and issued the following for the County of Hawaii: a flood watch, a high wind watch for lower elevations MAnd io WHEREAS, Governor Josh Green, M.D., issued an emergency proclamation and a State on March 9, 2026; and m, an E qual Opporui ird ty f1ravider arid Ernployer VVHEREAS, the forecasted impacts to the County for this period and possibly extending through March 17, 2026, include heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flash flooding, and strong damaging winds. Blizzard conditions, including heavy snow and strong winds, are also forecasted for the summits; and WHEREAS, the forecasted impacts may cause flooding of roads, streams, drainages, an4 low-lying areas resulting in debris, landslides, and closures; strong winds may cause flying debris, downed trees, downed power lines, and power or communication outages; hazardous travel conditions; all of which may result or likely result in dangerous conditions to the lives, (,*,roperty, and environment of the County and may extend beyond the actual impacts; 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, 1, C. KIMO ALAMEDA, Mayor of the County of Hawai'i, hereby declare, effective March 12, 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 to the County of Hawai'i; and I FURTHER DECLARE, that based on the conditions described above, the following measures are reasonably necessary to address the emergency or disaster: 1. Invocation of Laws. Pursuant to HRS § 127A- I 2(c)(1 7), 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 and 7-1-6(d)(4). I authorize and direct thl Administrator of the County of Hawai'i Civil Defense Agenc. or their designee, to take appropriate actions to direct or contr the following, as may be necessary for emergency management: I . 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 0 population;traffic during, before, and after alerts, emergencies, or 5. Shut off water mains, gas mains, or electric power connections, or suspend other services; 6. The mandatory evacuation of the civilian and Each infrastructureowning, controlling, or operating a critical facility, is hereby required to protect and ,, guard 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 allcritical infrastructureand s provided [ 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 i= cooperatedirect all County agencies and officers to accordance ,I !,[_ _; r/"": ;([[ r aiAextended or terminated by a separate or supplem mary proclamation, in accordance with Fill-S Done at the County of Hawaii, this 12'r day of March 2026 C. Kimo da. Ph.D. Mayor County of Hawai'i 1 AND L IT Y- (f Knee ® Schoen Corporation Counsel County of awai`i