Hawai'i can chart path to better disaster plan
It's hard to extract much good news from a statewide emergency, but two days after Hawai'i endured a major earthquake, it appears that the state's command structure managed the crisis fairly well, with public safety and other essential services maintained.
We have good luck to thank for that in no small measure. The temblor occurred early on a sleepy Sunday morning, 25 miles deep in the Earth's crust, and no significant tsunami was generated. The cost in property damage is still being calculated, but it could have been far worse. The same can be said for the cost in terms of human lives.
It's fortunate that Hawai'i had some emergency preparedness weaknesses illuminated after suffering relatively little trauma. Luck, however, may not always be on our side. Now is the time to heed the lessons from this Sunday morning wake-up call so that next time an earthquake, hurricane or other natural disaster strikes, Hawai'i will be more prepared.
Here are a few observations:
And as wireless technologies expand, officials should consider Web alerts and other informational strategies to get the word out.
On the whole, however, it was gratifying to see the cooperative spirit of aloha at work in dismal circumstances. Hawai'i can feel proud of its neighborly tradition — and wiser for this lesson in preparedness.
