Home | Site Map | Civil Defense Agency
CIVIL
DEFENSE AGENCY
Date:
December 27, 2008
MEDIA
UPDATE
Time:
2:00 a.m.
Update:
#
7
Incident: Flood
Advisory #
7
This is a Civil Defense message.
This is a flood advisory update for
Saturday morning, December 27 at 2:00 o’clock.
The flash flood warning issued for
Hawai’i County has been cancelled effective 2:00 a.m. Saturday morning. However, the
National Weather Service continues to forecast rainy conditions for Hawai’i County
through the weekend.
As a precaution the following are
issued:
·
The Police Department reports that
all highways are open at this time, but all motorists are advised to continue to drive
with caution and be on the alert for debris, run-off, and ponding of water. Be aware that
closures and slowdowns still can occur without warning.
·
The State Department of Health
advises you to be aware of possible contamination of flood waters. Water from streams and
coastal areas as well as ponding areas may contain harmful contaminants from overflowing
sewage systems as well as animal waste and agricultural runoff.
Again the National Weather Service
has cancelled the flash flood warning for Hawai’i Island. The National Weather
Service does forecast rain to continue through the weekend.
Have a safe day.
This is your Hawai’i County
Civil Defense.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS RELEASE
October 4, 2008
Contact person: Quince Mento, Civil
Defense Administrator at 935-0031
County Unveils New Mass Emergency Notification
System
The Hawai'i County Civil Defense
Agency has just acquired a new Mass Emergency Notification System, which allows for County
agencies to easily notify the public in the event of emergencies.
The City Watch is an electronic notification system
that can notify residents about evacuations or other emergency measures via phone or
email.
“This new system allows us more
flexibility and speed to notify communities of an impending or imminent emergency, with
appropriate measures for residents to follow,” said Civil Defense Administrator
Quince Mento. It will supplement the more
traditional means of communicating with the public such as radio broadcasts.
The system was purchased by State
Civil Defense and was given to the County as a pilot project, Mento said. The system uses maps with registered
residents’ phone numbers and addresses to target specific communities on the island.
“We can use a computer generated
map to focus on say, Waikoloa or Puako, to alert residents to evacuate in the event of a
brush fire,” Mento said. The system once
activated sends residents registered on the system a brief voice and email message. “This system will only be activated in major
emergencies,” Mento said.
Hawai’i County residents need to
register for City Watch notification messages by either mailing their contact information
to: County of
The pilot stage of the project will be free to the County, and
subsequent years the County will pay an annual fee of approximately $40,000. The system is used in numerous communities, notably
in
Incident: Air
Quality Advisory
This is a Civil Defense message.
This is an air quality advisory for
Wednesday morning, August 6, at 9 o'clock.
The Hawai'i County Civil Defense
Agency report that recent activity at the Kilauea volcano has resulted in some temporary
increased levels (spikes) of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulates occurring mainly in the
early morning hours in the communities closest to the vent areas in the districts of
Ka‘u and Puna. On July 24, 2008, air
monitors in Pahala in the Ka‘u District recorded a spike
of sulfur dioxide between 9:00 am and 10:00 am of almost 9 parts per million (ppm) which
is considered extremely high and Color Code Purple. The
Department of Health advises that exposure to such elevated levels of sulfur dioxide can
pose an immediate health threat to people who have asthma and other respiratory
conditions.
It is nearly impossible to forecast
these temporary episodes of potentially hazardous air quality, since levels can change
significantly in minutes. The sulfur dioxide
level is dependent upon the SO2 output from the
People in sensitive groups such as
those with asthma, heart or lung disease, and older can be particularly vulnerable and
need to be alert and aware of their own health situation.
Anyone who experiences symptoms of respiratory problems that may be triggered by
emissions from the volcano should have an emergency action plan. In all cases, people reacting to volcanic emissions
must know when to seek medical care or take protective measures such as staying indoors
with the windows closed or relocating to a safe area.
For further information, please call the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency
at 935-0031 or the State Department of Health.
Thank you for listening.
This is your Hawai‘i
_______________________________________________________________
Home | Site Map | Civil Defense Agency
Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer