WAILUA — While others on the island bought provisions and decided whether to head for higher ground during last Thursday night and Friday morning’s tsunami warning, one population had little choice in the matter. Some 140 prisoners waited out the
WAILUA — While others on the island bought provisions and decided whether to head for higher ground during last Thursday night and Friday morning’s tsunami warning, one population had little choice in the matter.
Some 140 prisoners waited out the hours leading up to the potential disaster at Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center. The jail’s population includes people awaiting trial and those who have been sentenced.
“We kept (inmates) informed of what was going on and what the plan was in case the tsunami hit Kaua‘i — to stay put and remain calm,” said acting warden Capt. Lewis Lindsey. “As far as any natural disaster, we’d probably stay put.”
The jail at 3-5351 Kuhio Highway is located directly across from Wailua Golf Course. According to the Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages Disaster Preparedness Guide, which is where officials direct residents and visitors who may be impacted by an impending tsunami or hurricane, neither facility lies within an evacuation zone.
A similar map that is downloadable from the county’s Civil Defense Agency page is less clear.
“The map on the website is hard to read,” county spokeswoman Beth Tokioka said in an e-mail this week.
Mark Marshall, the emergency management officer and administrator of the Civil Defense Agency, agreed the map is somewhat confusing. According to the county’s “Lihu‘e 2” map showing tsunami and flood zones, the jail appears to be located in a shaded region indicating “areas of tsunami & flood inundation.” Marshall said the map is intended for members of the general public who may live or work in that area.
“We tend to be a little bit liberal in making evacuation zones,” Marshall said.
He explained that the zones are drawn in connection with landmarks to make them easier for police to enforce.
“We’re making our decisions based on historical precedence, but there could be an unprecedented wave — something larger than we’ve ever seen,” Marshall said.
‘Up to the warden’
If a 90-foot wave hit the coast, the jail could get caught in the deluge, but the largest recorded tsunami measured 41 feet, he said.
“It’s really up to the warden as to whether he’s going evacuate his facility or not,” Marshall said. “Hawai‘i doesn’t have a mandatory evacuation law like several other states.”
He said KCCC does not lie within an inundation zone, which refers to an area where the water would likely reach. That zone can change depending on the force of the earthquake and the expected tsunami. Additionally, although it is close to the coastline, the jail is located on the other side of a fairly sizable ditch.
In terms of a state facility, such as KCCC, the Civil Defense Agency looks to a warden or other responsible party to make the best decision for his facility.
“The county doesn’t tell the state what to do,” Marshall said.
In the most recent incident, Marshall said he agrees with the correctional center’s decision to stay put.
“They’re competent experts and they’ve thoroughly reviewed their decision with us and we concur.”
‘All clear’
In 2005, the jail did evacuate when a brush fire near Lydgate Park got too close. Smoke, more than fire, became an issue for the facility and its prisoners, Lindsey said.
At that time, correctional officers took inmates to Aloha Church in Lihu‘e. KCCC holds a mutual agreement with the church that allows it to evacuate prisoners there and maintain operations until the county provides an “all clear.”
The correctional center has vehicles to move its prisoners and can work with the sheriff’s department to do the same, Lindsey said. It is also working to renew a contract with a local bus service.
