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The Maui News
The Hawai'i Emergency Management Agency has released the latest version of the State Hazard Mitigation Plan, which maps out ways to reduce harm from natural hazards like wildfires, flooding and hurricanes.
The 2023 plan identifies the major natural hazards that affect the state; assesses the risk that each hazard poses; analyzes the vulnerability of people, property and infrastructure to the specific hazard; and recommends actions to reduce the risk and vulnerability to the hazard, according to HI-EMA.
The state fully updates the plan every five years, and it must be approved by the governor and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Additional changes may be made annually to reflect plan changes by HI-EMA, the counties and other partners.
HI-EMA began collecting public comments on the new plan in December of last year, including a series of public meetings across the state and virtual meetings via teleconference. Gov. Josh Green formally adopted the plan on Sept. 27.
"This plan is a cornerstone of the work that emergency managers do to reduce the risk and harm from known hazards," HI-EMA Administrator James Barros said in a news release Wednesday. "The state works with the counties and the counties work with their communities to turn this plan into projects that protect life and property."
FEMA requires that states have an approved hazard mitigation plan to qualify for numerous federal assistance and mitigation grants.
The updated plan can be found at dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/final-2023-hazard-mitigation-plan/.