WAILUKU - Much has been learned from last year's tsunami and now government agencies and residents should be better equipped to cope with another tsunami strike, county and emergency officials said last week.
"I think we are always better prepared once we go through any type of response, no matter how far it goes," said Michele Liberty, Maui County director of the American Red Cross.
"This time, it went farther than before," she said, reflecting on the March 11, 2011, tsunami that damaged homes and harbors and chased people out of homes to seek safety on high ground.
Other recent tsunami incidents churned up tidal surges in harbors and around coastlines, but they didn't have a large impact on personal property.
A year ago, Liberty's disaster assessment teams and other volunteers fanned out throughout Maui County to assess damage, hand out supplies for mop-up work and provide information and referrals on how and where to get help.
The first warning of the tsunami came for Hawaii residents on the night of March 10 after an 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of northern Japan. Warnings of the approaching tsunami sent Maui residents flocking to gas stations to fill up their tanks. Many residents sought higher ground. Police closed coastal roads.
When the tsunami hit in the early-morning hours of March 11, a surge of water from Kahului Harbor traveled up Puunene Avenue to its intersection with Kamehameha Avenue. East Molokai residents reported property damage, along with some Paukukalo residents.
Damage also was wreaked in harbors where boats were at the mercy of the tsunami's surges. Shoreline parks and roads were flooded.
In retrospect, Mayor Alan Arakawa said it's important to keep what happened a year ago and what could have happened in perspective, while keeping in mind the disaster's impact on the people of Japan.
"Let us never forget that things could have been much, much worse," Arakawa said in an email.
In reflecting on what can be learned from last year's tsunami, Arakawa stressed that "education is a key component."
Arakawa said that he wants the county and its residents to learn from the tsunami and be better prepared if another were to strike the Hawaiian Islands.
"People shouldn't have to look at a map to see if they're in danger," he said. "They should already know ahead of time. They should have a plan. They should know where they're going, who they're staying with.
"There is so much we can all do better next time, including me. I realize now that I should have gotten on the radio quicker to speak to listeners. I was so concerned about operations and trying to oversee things that I overlooked that."
Since then, Arakawa said his communications team has set up its own recording equipment so he can record a message to send it out to all radio stations.
Anna Foust, emergency management officer for the Maui County Civil Defense Agency, added that her agency, along with county Communications Director Rod Antone, have met with local media partners to ensure that county messages are relayed to residents and visitors.
But officials said a lot of the preparation and response to emergencies such as tsunamis lies in the hands of the public.
In the case of a tsunami, shelters will not be open until the wave hits, and the extent of the response will depend on how many people are affected, Liberty said.
Last year, many people went to schools and or community center facilities that are identified as "possible shelters" but had not been opened as shelters, Foust said. Opening a shelter is handled collaboratively between agencies such as Civil Defense and the Red Cross.
But before a tsunami strikes, people should already know if they are in or out of the inundation zone, she said. That information is available online at www.scd.hawaii.gov.
If they are in a danger zone, Foust recommends they seek shelter with family and friends outside the inundation area. If they are outside the area, they could open their home to others, she said.
Arakawa said he knew of families in Maui Lani that are well out of the flood zone, but they traveled Upcountry.
"All you are doing is traveling on the road when you don't need to be traveling and using up fuel that you might need later," he said. People even traveled to Kula, which wasn't necessary.
There were reports that some Upcountry roads and parking lots were congested with people fleeing from Central Maui.
"Don't overreact," Arakawa added.
Foust said that if people need to evacuate but don't have anyplace to go, they should listen to the radio or seek other media announcements for evacuation assembly areas.
The assembly areas are outside where people can congregate safely out of the flood zone, she said. County personnel may be at assembly areas as the situation allows.
"Tsunami events don't give county or state officials or first responders much, if any, lead time," she said in an email. "The primary objective is for the safe relocation of people out of the evacuation zones."
She added that the county has to focus on moving its equipment and resources to have them available to respond to damage and recovery in the tsunami's wake.
Some people evacuated last year without having any supplies, Foust said.
Red Cross and Civil Defense officials said people should be prepared with emergency kits that include food, clothing, medicine, important personal documents and other personal supplies.
Liberty said disaster volunteers are always in demand to respond when emergencies strike. To be a volunteer, call the American Red Cross at 244-0051.
For more information on disaster preparedness, go online to Maui County's Civil Defense website at www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?nid=70.
* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
Source: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559005.html
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