Governor Josh Green, M.D.

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) recommends that all state residents become “2 Weeks Ready” for an emergency, but many people aren’t sure how to do that.

To answer their questions, HI-EMA has produced a series of short video presentations highlighting:

• What “2 Weeks Ready” means
• How to meet the specific needs of your household during an emergency, and
• Tips on how to overcome obstacles when building a stockpile of food, water, medicine, and other vital supplies.

The first three episodes of the series — entitled “What Does Your ‘2 Weeks Ready’ Look Like?” — were released Thursday in a playlist on HI-EMA’s YouTube channel and website. Each episode is roughly two minutes long. The first batch includes an introduction and a look at how to build a kit that matches your needs, whether your household includes keiki, kūpuna, pets, or all of the above.

Fifteen episodes have been produced and new episodes will be released on Thursdays throughout the summer. Additional episodes are being planned, allowing HI-EMA to answer questions from the public.

“Our state’s remote location and long supply chain means an emergency can easily isolate our communities from access to food, fuel, and other vital supplies for days, or even weeks,” said HI-EMA Administrator James Barros. “We’ve talked a lot in the past few years about the importance of being ‘2 Weeks Ready,’ but these videos really focus on providing step-by-step guidance on how each ‘ohana can get to that goal.”

Surveys of Hawaii households show that some may be short of space or cash to build up an emergency stockpile. Others just aren’t sure what to do.

“We understand that emergency preparedness isn’t easy,” Barros said. “These videos make it easier, by breaking preparedness down to one step at a time and offering advice on specific obstacles that people face.”

A major hurricane or another disaster would affect our whole community, and the efforts of the whole community will be needed to meet the challenge.

Being “2 Weeks Ready” starts as simply as buying and setting aside an extra can of food on sale, or planning to check on a neighbor who may need help during an emergency. But these small steps will allow our first responders to focus on the communities and people who have been hit the hardest.

“Even a few days of supplies is better than nothing! So, take the first steps and over time you and your ‘ohana will be better prepared for a hurricane, tsunami, or other disaster.”

The videos were written and produced by HI-EMA staff, supported in part by an Emergency Management Performance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Significant assistance and supporting information were provided by staff of the Hawai‘i Food Bank.

 

 

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Contact:

Adam Weintraub
Communication Director
Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency
[email protected]
808-620-5417