Imagine you are comfortably sleeping in your home with your children tucked safely in their beds. At around 2 in the morning you are jolted out of bed by the blaring sound of the emergency siren. Sleepily you turn on the radio and hear that a tsunami warning was issued and you are being ordered to evacuate your home.
What will you do? Are you and your family adequately prepared?
For many Hawai‘i homeowners the answer to that question is, “No.” The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program took a step toward addressing this problem by publishing the Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards. This free guidebook was specifically developed for the homeowner, and outlines in one document effective ways to significantly lower serious risks to lives and property.
Dr. Darren Okimoto, UH Sea Grant Extension Leader and co-author of the guidebook, said, according to a press release, “The primary purpose of the project was to bring together existing information on natural hazard preparedness, and develop new information that would help homeowners in Hawai‘i with emergency preparedness and planning.”
“Our hope is that it will be widely utilized by residents of Hawai‘i, and that they will be survivors and not victims should we experience a natural hazard in our islands,” Okimoto said, according to the release.
Lead author of the guide, Dennis Hwang, said “The handbook fills an important information gap for homeowners by showing how to plan and prepare for multiple hazards such as hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding and earthquakes. It takes complex information traditionally used by scientists, engineers and architects and simplifies it so that the homeowner can make informed decisions and implement the simple and cost-effective measures.”
The guidebook is available free of charge from the UH Sea Grant Web site: www.soest.hawaii.edu/SEAGRANT
A printed copy may also be requested from UH Sea Grant (shipping and handling charges apply):
University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program, 2525 Correa Road, HIG 208, Honolulu, 96822
