A year after magnitude 6.7 and 6.0 earthquakes shook the Big Island, causing at least $200 million in damage and knocking out power on O'ahu for 15 hours, officials say the state is better prepared should something similar happen again.

Emergency communications have improved, airports are getting backup power, power generators have been examined, and roads are being repaired.

That was the report given yesterday by Gov. Linda Lingle's communications review committee, a group of more than 100 government and telecommunications officials put together to look at the damage and response to the Oct. 15, 2006, quakes.

More than a dozen officials gathered in the state Capitol's executive chambers to discuss the results.

"We've taken a lot of specific steps to address the conditions that existed on Oct. 15 of last year," said Darren Pai, Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman.

Safety relays with 20- to 30- year-old parts that falsely caused the two largest generating units at the Kahe power plant to trip offline have been modified. The shutdown led to a cascading power failure on O'ahu.

"There are so many things which could cause an islandwide outage. For example, a natural disaster," Pai said. "So, unfortunately, there's no way to really give a 100 percent guarantee that it will never happen again. However, we feel confident that we've addressed the conditions that existed last year."

Civil defense sirens were not sounded when the earthquakes hit, and the power blackout that affected media outlets led to the equivalent of an information brownout. Dedicated phone lines to Civil Defense broadcast stations have been added, and TV and radio stations automatically transmit emergency messages.

Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, the state adjutant general and co-chairman of the communications review committee, said that system has been tested with a smaller earthquake registered on the Big Island last Thanksgiving, and earthquakes in Japan, the Pacific and off Peru.

"And very quickly, the trailer comes on the bottom of the TV screens and the public is informed," Lee said.

Lee noted that the state Legislature this past year passed statewide building codes for all counties that are upgraded to 2003 international standards. The state Department of Transportation completed most of its repairs to quake-damaged roads, and is readying to repair two damaged Big Island piers.

Lee said a "tough nut" the state continues to face is water service for the farmers and residents of Kohala and repairs to a system that was built by plantation workers in the early 1900s.

Federal and state money should be available to improve the combination of wells, water lines to reservoirs and ditches with help from the Hawai'i National Guard. Kohala Ditch System repairs are expected to cost $4 million.

"So we still face challenges, but we know what the end state should be," Lee said.

According to the state, Federal Emergency Management Agency public assistance for 759 projects for schools, government buildings, debris removal and similar efforts totals $18.2 million. The state's share is $4.5 million.

Individual assistance through FEMA for home damage improvements totals $9.2 million.

"How much has been paid out at this point, I don't know," said Ray Lovell, a spokesman for state Civil Defense. "They make applications to FEMA. We assist in that, but that then becomes between them and FEMA."

The Small Business Administration has loans available for affected homeowners and businesses, and $18.5 million has been provided to homeowners and $3 million to businesses, Lovell said.

Among improvement projects in the works on O'ahu are plans for a $130 million, 110-megawatt power plant at Campbell Industrial Park that should be online in mid-2009.

Additionally, backup generators have boosted Honolulu International Airport's emergency powers from handling about 10 to 15 percent of normal functions to about 66 percent now, officials said.

All Neighbor Island airports now have 100 percent backup power with the exception of Kona, which is in the middle of a modernization.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.