NATURAL HAZARDS

Chapter 3: Natural Hazards

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A wildfire burns across the pali, Mā`alaea.

Maui’s pristine waters, lush mountainsides, dry brushland, and dormant volcano offer an awe-inspiring variety of landscapes to explore. The different extremes in climate and terrain can come with a price: the potential for numerous natural hazards that could affect any part of the island. Chronic hazards, such as coastal erosion, flooding, and vog (volcanic smog), may persist or recur over long periods of time. Tsunamis, hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes vary in frequency and intensity and are difficult to predict. With the impacts of climate change superimposed on Hawai`i’s existing risk from these hazards, communities may be exposed to more severe and frequent hazards, increasing risk; and potentially affecting our economy and eroding the quality of life.

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Background Information

Natural hazards must be considered when planning for the future. Maui’s shorelines, beaches, and near shore coastal waters are highly susceptible to damage from coastal hazards such as tsunamis, storm surge, and erosion. Inland areas can sustain wind damage, flooding, fires, and drought. These dangers pose a significant threat to life and property.

The University of Hawai`i, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others are working to model the likely impact of a typical tsunami event on the island of Maui. There are several densely populated areas near the coastline and/or in low-lying areas that are vulnerable to tsunami damage.

These same areas are also in danger of periodic hazards such as high surf and storm surge. During the time horizon of the MIP, it will be important to understand how sea-level rise and shoreline changes may affect low-lying areas.

Mitigation, risk, and vulnerability should be addressed for the hazards listed in Table 3-1 when planning for the long term.

Table 3 – 1: Maui’s potential natural hazards

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Aerial view of the destruction caused by a Kona storm, Kula.

Property damage resulting from natural hazards has become exceedingly costly for both the disaster victims and the American taxpayer. According to the Maui County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), from 1989 to 1993, the average annual loss from natural disasters was $3.3 billion nationally. Over 6,000 people have been killed and 50,000 injured from natural disasters in the past 25 years (FEMA, 1998). Nationally, extreme weather caused approximately $23.9 billion in combined property and crop damages in 2011, more than double the $9.9 billion in 2010. Property damages were estimated at $20.9 billion, almost triple the 2010 total of $7 billion and 2009 total of $6.8 billion. As in 2010, flooding was a major culprit, accounting for more than $9 billion in losses. Weather-related deaths also more than doubled in 2011, reaching 1,091 victims, up from 490 in 2010. According to the National Weather Service, this number is well above the 10-year average (2002-2011) of 641.

The HMP identifies hazards and risks posed by natural disasters, and provides an action plan to reduce loss if such disasters occur. FEMA requires that this plan be updated every five years. The MIP advocates for the implementation and updating of the HMP.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Fragmented Agency Coordination

Although the Maui County Civil Defense Agency is responsible for HMP implementation, the agency cannot be successful in its mission without the cooperative efforts of many County, State, and Federal agencies. To be prepared for any hazard event, all relevant agencies have to be communicative and coordinated; this will help to ensure community resilience before, during, and after a hazard event.

In the context of social and physical systems, resilience can be described as a way to cope with uncertainty or risk. Natural hazards, such as earthquakes, severe storms, or shoreline erosion, pose a variety of risks to communities that cannot be fully described or predicted. Communities manage these risks by building the capacity to avoid or minimize the impacts of hazards, and rebound quickly from disasters.

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Guiding Principles for Resilient Communities

Various communities in Hawaii have defined six principles to plan for resilience. These principles, adapted from the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program (2007), include:

• Community-based: engage communities in planning and implementation.
• Place-based: consider unique characteristics (natural resources, weather, and demographics) of each place.
• Ecosystem-based: recognize connections between land and sea and other components of the ecosystem.
• Culture-based: honor the host culture and values.
• Risk-based: incorporate hazard risk knowledge in all elements of planning.
• Collaborative: promote collaboration between stakeholders at all stages of the planning process.

Guiding principles can be applied in all stages of the planning cycle. Specific steps to plan for resilience in a community:

• Step 1: Characterize hazard risk
• Step 2: Define resilience goals and status
• Step 3: Develop actions and partnerships

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Figure 3 - 1: Goals of resilient communities (U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System Program).

Hazard mitigation is action taken to permanently reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and their property from the effects of natural hazards.

The purpose of multi-hazard mitigation is two-fold: 1) protect people and structures from harm and destruction; and 2) minimize the costs of disaster response and recovery. Hazard mitigation planning is the process that analyzes a community's risk from natural hazards, coordinates available resources, and implements actions to reduce risks.

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In 1995, FEMA introduced a National Mitigation Strategy to ensure the national focus on mitigation. The National Strategy promotes the partnership of government and the private sector to “build” safer communities. Hazard mitigation encourages all Americans to identify hazards that may affect them or their communities to take action to reduce risks. Mitigation actions help safeguard personal and public safety. Retrofitting bridges, for example, can help keep them from being washed out, which means they will be available to fire trucks and ambulances in the event of a storm. Installing hurricane clips and fasteners can reduce personal and real property losses for individuals and reduce the need for public assistance in the event of a hurricane. Increasing coastal setbacks reduces the risk of deaths and property losses from tsunamis, storm surge, and sea-level rise.

Limited Routes For Safe Evacuation

In several areas of the island there is only one access to get into or out of a region. For years this has been a problem for Lahaina travelers when there is a wildfire or a rockslide, and this limitation could be disastrous if a tsunami impacted the south- and/or west-facing shores. Likewise, Hāna and East Maui are prone to being cut off from the rest of the island in the event of earthquakes or rockslides.

Property owners, businesses, service providers, and government have a tendency to

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Warning sign posted after 2006 earthquake, Kīpahulu.

Improved Public Outreach and Education

delay the preparation for natural dangers until there is a crisis. This lack of preparation puts both life and property at risk.

Increasing awareness through public forums that educate communities about natural hazards will empower the public with solutions that will enable the entire community to work together when a crisis strikes. School programs can also be implemented to teach children how they can respond to an emergency situation.

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Another important benefit of hazard mitigation and education is that public investment in disaster preventative measures can significantly reduce the impact of disasters in the future, including the cost of post-disaster cleanup.

SUMMARY OF NATURAL HAZARDS ISSUES

• Fragmented agency coordination
• Lack of plans to protect life and property
• Limited routes for safe evacuation
• Need to improve public outreach and education
• Development and/or redevelopment located in hazardous areas

GOAL, OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND ACTIONS

Goal:

3.1 Maui will be disaster resilient.

Objective:

3.1.1 Increased inter-agency coordination.

Policies:

3.1.1.a Reinforce the island’s preparedness capacity by: (1) Applying the latest data-gathering techniques/technology; (2) Pursuing funding opportunities; (3) Improving monitoring and advance warning systems; (4) Fostering public awareness; and (5) Working with external agencies to coordinate disaster mitigation and response.

Implementing Actions:

3.1.1-Action 1 Consolidate and update the geographic information systems (GIS) hazards data bank in the Maui County Emergency Operations Center. Allow for the use of outside data to be included in the data bank.

3.1.1-Action 2 Acquire the latest GIS technology in hazard, risk, and vulnerability assessments.

3.1.1-Action 3 Establish a standing County Hazard Mitigation Committee, comprised of representatives from all levels of government and the private sector.

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Objective:

3.1.2 Greater protection of life and property.

Policies:

3.1.2.a Identify critical infrastructure, lifelines, roads, and populations that are vulnerable to coastal hazards, and encourage strategic retreat and relocation to safer areas.

3.1.2.b Consider the location of dams, reservoirs, holding ponds, and other water-containing entities that are upstream of inhabited areas to anticipate, avoid, and mitigate inundation risks, and discourage new development in areas where possible inundation hazards may exist.

3.1.2.c Strengthen current development standards to minimize destruction of land and property.

3.1.2.d Encourage the use of construction techniques that reduce the potential for damage from natural hazards.

3.1.2.e Increase the County’s resilience to drought.

3.1.2.f Increase food and energy security through local production and storage.

Implementing Actions:

3.1.2-Action 1 Develop an Emergency Management Center in Central Maui.

3.1.2-Action 2 Implement the HMP, and subsequent updates, to the extent it is consistent with MIP.

3.1.2-Action 3 Develop a Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction Plan that will ensure Maui’s resilience to coastal hazards.

3.1.2-Action 4 Develop plans and/or incentives to do the following: (1) Encourage rebuilding inland as an alternative to shoreline hardening; (2) Streamline the reconstruction of structures that are moved substantially inland; (3) Encourage the relocation of existing structures so they are away from shoreline areas; and (4) Encourage the relocation of vulnerable coastal roads that are susceptible to destruction from natural hazards, such as a portion of North Kihei Road and the Pali to Puamana realignment.

3.1.2-Action 5 Periodically update the shoreline rules to enable the Maui Planning Commission to provide safe setbacks from the shorelines and incorporate best management practices.

3.1.2-Action 6 Use and update the Federal Emergency Management Agency-Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM) in the permitting process to minimize development in flood-prone areas.

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3.1.2-Action 7 Following each coastal erosion disaster, identify and document the new shoreline position to be used for reviewing future development.

3.1.2-Action 8 Following each natural disaster, gather data to plan for future disaster events.

3.1.2-Action 9 Update coastal-planning requirements to factor in incremental effects of rising sea levels.

3.1.2-Action 10 Increase water storage and development of additional capacity in Upcountry Maui and other areas susceptible to drought and encourage efficiency in conservation programs.

Objective:

3.1.3 A more coordinated emergency response system that includes clearly defined and mapped evacuation routes.

Policies:

3.1.3.a Identify and expand shelter facilities and evacuation routes away from areas susceptible to natural hazards.

Implementing Actions:

3.1.3-Action 1 Develop an island-wide evacuation routes plan.

3.1.3-Action 2 Identify and develop required shelter capacity.

3.1.3-Action 3 Plan for opening and staffing the shelters to ensure that the facilities are made available at the time of evacuation orders.

Objective:

3.1.4 A more educated and involved public that is aware of and prepared for natural hazards.

Policies:

3.1.4.a Promote public education and involvement related to natural hazards awareness and preparedness.

3.1.4.b Coordinate a multi-agency effort to establish and promote a comprehensive public education program that will focus on practical approaches to preparedness, damage prevention, and hazard mitigation.

Implementing Actions:

3.1.4-Action 1 Develop regularly scheduled mitigation training for public and private emergency responders and establish volunteer groups to elevate public awareness of emergency procedures.