(BIVN) – The Draft 2023 State Hazard Mitigation Plan for Hawaiʻi is out for public comment. 

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency said residents can provide input using this Survey Monkey link, with the comment period closing on May 9, 2023. “Please only provide input through the survey monkey, as that’s the only way comments can be fielded,” HI-EMA officials said.

Figure 4.14-6 from the draft plan, Homes and Infrastructure in Hawaiʻi County Inundated by the 2018 Kīlauea Eruption (Source: Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency)

From the introduction of the draft document:

The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify hazards that impact the State of Hawaiʻi, identify actions and activities to reduce losses from those hazards, and establish a coordinated process to implement the plan. On October 27, 2004, the State of Hawaiʻi’s first approved Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan went into effect. The 2010 revision became effective on October 4, 2010. The 2013 update became effective on October 3, 2013. The 2018 update became effective on October 2, 2018. The State is committed to updating and implementing its long-term strategy for reducing the risks of hazards as documented in the 2023 State of Hawai‘i Hazard Mitigation Plan Update (2023 SHMP Update). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approval and State adoption of the 2023 SHMP Update qualify the State of Hawai‘i to obtain federal assistance for hazard mitigation and for the repair and replacement of infrastructure damaged in natural disasters.

HI-EMA says it will be hosting one last public outreach meeting on May 3, 2023, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendance options will be both virtual and in-person, officials say.