The Maui News

Maui County will share its draft Hazard Mitigation Plan with the public via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The plan includes topics such as strengthening school buildings to serve as shelters during hurricanes, adding generators to critical facilities for backup power and developing tsunami evacuation routes.

The meeting is open for public comment. To join, visit sparling.zoom.us/j/99856521887.

The Maui Emergency Management Agency has nearly completed an update to the Hazard Mitigation Plan, which addresses natural hazards like wildfires, beach erosion and highway rock slides. The plan looks at how the county can lessen these threats on Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

The plan also includes consideration of infectious disease and pandemics.

Once approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the plan makes the county eligible for pre- and post-disaster mitigation project grant funding through Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs and other nonemergency disaster assistance.

A mitigation planning survey that opened in January to allow for public feedback on solutions to the problems associated with natural hazards, closes Tuesday. Over 500 participants have already completed the form, the county said. To take the survey, visit surveymonkey.com/r/mitigatemaui.

With support of a consulting team led by Jamie Caplan Consulting LLC, Maui Emergency Management Agency formed a steering committee of county leaders. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the steering committee had met twice, and team members interviewed a dozen stakeholders and hosted public meetings in Hana and Central Maui and on Molokai.

For more information about the Hazard Mitigation Plan or to learn about ways to participate in the development of the Hazard Mitigation Plan, contact Hazard Mitigation Officer Anthony Joyce, the Maui Emergency Management Agency, via phone at 270-7286 or by email at anthony.joyce@mauicounty.gov.

More information is available at www.mauicounty.gov/1832/Multi-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan.