LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i’s American Red Cross has three new jobsite tool-storage containers on the North Shore to help provide supplies in times of disasters like floods.
The orange, roughly three-by-five-foot containers can be easily transported by two people and a pickup truck to various shelters on the North Shore when needed, and are now storing cots and blankets. Emergency funding from the April 2018 floods paid the $1,200 price tag on the containers.
Padraic Gallagher, Kaua‘i ARC director of disaster services, said they’re specifically for storing items geared toward responding to a disaster, not for supplies needed in recovery after a disaster.
“If we open a shelter at Hanalei School or at Church of the Pacific (in Princeville) we will have cots and blankets close by that a couple of volunteers could put in the back of their car or truck and drive them a few minutes up the road instead of coming all the way from Lihu‘e or Kapa‘a,” said Gallagher.
Gallagher worked with the county in securing about $20,000 in grant money for the containers and supplies for disaster mitigation on the North Shore, and the grant money only covered the three containers. The rest went to blankets, cots and north shore recruitment efforts. He says he’d like to buy more.
“The advantages to using this type of container is they are modular. We can move them pretty easily from location to location with just a regular pick-up truck or trailer,” Gallagher said. “Our supplies fit perfectly in them and they are fairly rugged. I just hope we can keep them from rusting prematurely.”
Now that the first three storage containers are stocked and ready to be used, Gallagher and the county are working closely together to find more ways to be better prepared for disasters on Kaua‘i.
“The American Red Cross is a valuable partner that assisted our community during the historic April 2018 floods, and continues to help anyone struck by tragedy during emergencies and disasters,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami.
“I want to thank all the volunteers of the American Red Cross for all their efforts during times of need.”
Currently there are no Red Cross volunteers in the Hanalei-to-Ha‘ena area. If anyone wants to volunteer and serve in that area they can go to redcross.org/volunteer.
This story has been edited to reflect accuracy.
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Stephanie Shinno, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
“I just hope we can keep them from rusting prematurely.”
Define “prematurely”…hahahahaha
“I just hope we can keep them from rusting prematurely.”
Our “best and brightest” tell us the North Shore will be under water in 10 years. They should last at least until then.