County of Kauai Natural Hazard Risk & Vulnerability Assessment and Hazard Mitigation Workbook © December 2002. Prepared by the University of Hawaii Social Science Research Institute.

This document has been prepared for the County of Kauai using resources developed by federal and state partners. These include:

1. County of Kauai Civil Defense Agency and Kauai Project Impact
2. State of Hawaii Hazard Mitigation Forum: information developed for Kauai County as part of the website, www.mothernature-hawaii.com.
3. University of Hawaii Social Science Research Institute
4. University of Hawaii School of Ocean, Earth Science and Technology Coastal Geology Group
5. University of Hawaii Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR)
6. Federal Emergency Management Agency
7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center
8. NOAA National Weather Service
9. Pamela Pogue, State of Rhode Island Emergency Management, for the Maui Mitigation Strategy

We thank all of the individuals behind the organizations listed above and all of those who have contributed to the hazard mitigation planning efforts in Hawaii State.

This document is funded in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Hawaii State Coastal Zone Management Program.

SECTION 1: Introduction (Up to TOC)

The purpose of this document is to allow community groups and organizations to develop hazard mitigation plans on Kauai. It is based in part on a hazard mitigation planning process facilitated by Kauai Civil Defense in partnership with the Social Science Research Institute of the University of Hawaii with support from FEMA, State Civil Defense and the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program. It provides an introduction to hazard mitigation planning, identifies sources of hazard mitigation information and guidance documents and outlines the steps in the hazard mitigation planning process.

Natural Hazards in Kauai County (Up to TOC)

The County of Kauai includes the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Kauai is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. Three hurricanes have severely impacted Kauai over the past 40 years. Hurricane Iniki, for example, had gusts up to 160 miles per hour, destroyed 1,421 houses, and damaged over 13,000 homes in 1992.

Other natural hazards also threaten Kauai. In September of 1996, heavy rains led to flooding of Hanalei town and temporary closure of the Hanalei Bridge, the only way residents can access the rest of the island. Heavy rains frequently close bridges and landslides on the highway past Anahola are common. Kauai has had twenty-six tsunamis of three feet or more in height since 1819 with wave heights of up to 35 feet (Summary maps showing the history of hazards, including heavy winds, tsunami, high waves, and flooding, have been included in the Appendix for reference.)

The best way to deal with natural hazards is to recognize that they occur and to take action that will minimize the impacts. The term that agencies commonly use to describe the measures taken to reduce the effects of natural hazards is "hazard mitigation." This workbook explains the planning process to mitigate hazards, using risk and vulnerability assessments.

Hazard Mitigation: Why is it important? (Up to TOC)

Each year, natural hazards worldwide result in loss of life and economic impacts totaling billions of dollars. Hurricane Iniki left Kauai with an estimated $1.8 billion in economic losses, which does not account for all of the personal hardship suffered by families who lost jobs and belongings. The dollar estimate also does not include the losses to the economy and lost income for residents, which lasted over a decade.

Many times appropriate mitigation actions taken before a hazard event occurs can reduce the immediate impacts and prevent long recovery periods. Mitigation can cost money, but FEMA officials have estimated that for every dollar spent on mitigation, at least seven dollars have been saved in response and recovery costs following a disaster.

Since the early 1990s, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Congress have witnessed large increases in disaster response and recovery costs. As a result, they have provided funds to communities, counties, and states to reduce impacts from natural hazards through hazard mitigation. Changes in Federal laws have resulted in pre-disaster mitigation project funding and mitigation planning requirements. Each state and county must have a mitigation plan that identifies steps to reduce the impact from hazards. If the State and Counties do not have approved plans in place and a disaster occurs, they will not be entitled to public assistance and other FEMA funding. Therefore, it is imperative that Hawaii submits the state and county plans by the deadline.

Besides the federal requirements for funding, mitigation makes good common sense. For example, regularly scheduled clean-ups of streams and areas near streams prevent stream pollution, debris and runoff in nearshore waters. It can also prevent flooding along the stream during heavy rainfall. Maintenance of the water pipes by the county water departments reduces leaks and the cost of water for public and private use. It also helps to conserve water in the event of a drought.

Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation Activities (Up to TOC)

Often, there is confusion about the difference between disaster preparedness or response planning and mitigation. Both are important and constitute different phases of the disaster cycle. Response planning occurs during the preparedness phase of the disaster cycle, but the activities usually occur after the impact of a natural hazard.

Mitigation should also be undertaken prior to a disaster occurrence. The focus of mitigation is to reduce the impact of a hazard event on life, property, and the economy. Mitigation activities may enhance and preserve natural resource systems, and these benefits may be felt without the occurrence of a disaster.

Table 1. Comparison of Example Activities for Response and Mitigation

Conducting Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (Up to TOC)

The first steps in hazard mitigation planning are hazard to identify the hazards that affect a community, to assess the risk of disaster losses and evaluate the social, economic, and environmental vulnerability of a community. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center have developed guidance documents for communities on how to conduct risk and vulnerability assessments. This workbook does not attempt to replicate these materials but to provide excerpts and information on how to obtain these resources. These guidance documents themselves are available for free either by ordering the documents from the agencies or downloading from the websites provided.

1) Understanding Your Risks - identifying hazards and estimating losses (FEMA 386-2) provides step-by-step guidance on how to do a risk assessment. http://www.fema.gov/fima/planning_toc3.shtm

Through a series of general and hazard specific guidance and worksheets, this guide can help states and communities to determine - 1) which natural hazards affect their jurisdiction; 2) what geographical areas are vulnerable to the hazards; 3) what structures and infrastructure will be affected; and 4) to what degree they will be affected, as measured through dollar losses.

The document is multi-hazard in scope. Flood, earthquake, tsunami, tornado, coastal storm, landslide and wildfire are addressed. For communities dealing with multiple hazards, guidance is provided on how to develop a composite loss estimate. Once the risk assessment is completed, states and communities will have the information necessary to develop a strategy and plan for reducing their losses.

This publication is available from the FEMA Publication Warehouse (1-800-480-2520). Request by FEMA No. 386-2. It can also be downloaded as Adobe Acrobat Reader files (.pdf files) directly from the website.

2) Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool: New Hanover County, North Carolina. NOAA/CSC/99044-CD. CD-ROM. Charleston, SC: NOAA Coastal Services Center, 1999 - http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/startup.htm

The North Carolina Vulnerability Assessment Tool is an informational aid designed to assist communities in their efforts to reduce hazard vulnerability. The CD-ROM contains a methodology, developed by the NOAA Coastal Services Center, that helps local and state governments determine and prioritize their localities' vulnerability to coastal hazards. The website contains an order form for the CD-ROM and all of the information from the CD has been posted on their website so that communities have access to this information through the internet.

Overview of Kauai Assessment Methods (Up to TOC)

To conduct the risk and vulnerability assessment for Kauai, the project team used a combination of methods drawn from the guidance documents discussed above and modified for Kauai. The methods can use a range depending on the technical expertise, capability, and resources available to the community or government undertaking the assessment.

STEP 1: Ask Questions and Assess Risks. (Up to TOC)

The following set of questions will help the community to evaluate their situation and determine their needs for hazard mitigation planning.

Do you know...

• what your most costly hazards are?
  
  
• where your highest risk locations are?
  
  
• which of your critical facilities are most vulnerable to hazards?
  
  
• where your most vulnerable populations live?
  
  
• how susceptible your local economy is to hazards?
  
  
• what environmental resources are most at risk?
  
  
• what your best opportunities are to mitigate future impacts from natural disasters?

These questions will help to guide a community or organization through a hazard assessment process.

One of the most useful tools in developing a risk and vulnerability assessment is a geographic information systems (GIS) and maps produced from it. It is easier to point to areas on a map than refer to a list, and it is easier for people to see where their homes and businesses are located in relation to a particular hazard. Furthermore, maps improve communication about hazard risks between communities or organizations and disaster planners, engineers, and emergency response personnel. Not every community has access to GIS, but it is still possible to gather paper maps of local areas and identify risks by hand.

Step 2: Conduct a Hazard Analysis

Information should be gathered for all of the potential hazard risks. The analysis should include historical information; however, it is important to remember that even though no one can remember a particular hazard, it does not mean that the area is not vulnerable in the future. For example, earthquakes are not common in Hawaii, but Hawaii State is in a high-risk zone for seismic activity. The more that the data includes spatial and visual information, such as maps, photos, and video, the easier it will be to convey risks to decision-makers and communities.

STEP 3: Identify Assets

Identify facilities, property, infrastructure, habitat and other things of value for the community. These will be the things that it is most important to protect. The list will fall into categories of critical facilities, building stock, public infrastructure, economically important areas or facilities, environmentally important areas, and socially important areas.

Community members identified the following list of assets during several meetings held as part of Kauai's Project Impact and as part of the hazard mitigation planning process conducted by the Hawaii State Hazard Mitigation Forum.

1. Emergency Services Infrastructure
     a. Emergency Operations Centers
     b. Alternative Deployment Sites for Emergency Operations
     c. Community Disaster Centers
     d. Shelters by Disaster Type
     e. Police Stations
     f. Fire Stations
     g. Hospitals and Clinics
     h. Civil Defense Siren Locations
2. Vulnerable Populations
     a. Resident Population (from Census 2000) by density
     b. Day Care Facilities
     c. Nursing Homes
     d. Social Service Agencies
     e. People with Special Health Service Needs (dialysis, etc.)
     f. Crisis Centers (rape, domestic abuse, etc.)
3. Other Government Facilities
     a. State, County and Federal Government Buildings
     b. Schools (see also shelters)
     c. Debris: Solid Waste Sites
          i. Landfills
          ii. Transfer Stations
     d. Life Guard Towers
     e. Weather Monitoring Stations
     f. Military Bases
     g. Public Housing
     h. Hawaiian Homelands
4. Critical Infrastructure
     a. Water
          i. County Water Storage Tanks
          ii. Water Distribution Lines
          iii. Wells
          iv. Private Water Processing and Refrigeration
          v. Brackish Water Reservoirs for Wildfire Fighting
          vi. Irrigation and Ditch Systems
          vii. Waste Water Systems
          viii. Dams and Reservoirs
          ix. Storm Drainage Systems
     b. Energy
          i. Public Electric Utility Power Plants
          ii. Booster Stations
          iii. Power Transmission Lines
          iv. Emergency Generators
          v. Geothermal Wells
          vi. Fuel Storage, Supply, and Trucks (including above ground and underground)
          vii. Propane Tanks
          viii. Above Ground Fuel Pipelines
     c. Transportation
          i. Roads and Bridges
          ii. Airports, Landing Strips and Helicopter Pads
          iii. Ports
          iv. Harbor Operations
          v. Vehicle Base Yards
          vi. Heavy Equipment Base Yards
          vii. Bus Facilities
          viii. Car Rental Agencies
     d. Telecommunications
          i. Telephone Switching Stations
          ii. Satellite Dishes
          iii. Microwave Repeaters
          iv. Cellular Phone Antenna
          v. Telephone Lines
          vi. Cable TV Lines
          vii. Radio Stations and Transmission Towers
5. Economically Important Assets
     a. Financial Institutions
     b. Hotels and Tourism Facilities
     c. Building Supplies
     d. Ice Production Facilities
     e. Supermarkets
     f. Commercial and Industrial Areas
6. Socially, Culturally and Environmentally Important Assets
     a. Churches
     b. Historic Sites and Buildings
     c. Archaeological Sites
     d. Wetlands
     e. Unique Environmental Habitats and Resources
     f. Trails (Na Ala Hele)/ Firebreaks
     g. Hazardous Materials Storage
     h. Protective Sand Dune and Coral Reef Systems
     i. Cemeteries and Burial Lands
     j. Heiau, Halau
     k. Community and Cultural Centers
7. Housing
     a. By Location
     b. By Type

STEP 5: Vulnerability Assessment

Vulnerability is the susceptibility of resources to negative impacts from hazard events. It is these negative impacts that concern most people. While the study of hazards, risks, and probabilities is an important component of vulnerability, alone it does not provide resource managers with the information necessary to prioritize mitigation alternatives or measure improvements in mitigation. In order to make efficient use of your mitigation resources, it is not enough to know if, when, or even where a hazard event will strike. You need to know where your vulnerabilities are so you can make the most of your pre-disaster planning efforts. (NOAA Coastal Services Center, 1999, Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool, http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/htm/tut.htm).

Determine past losses by sector using the following sources of data:

• Modeled losses from Iniki and Iwa
• NFIP Loss Information
• Insurance Division Loss Information
• Housing Losses from ARA Study
• HAZUS Studies

Determine the value of assets and potential losses using the following sources of data:

• Building Permit
• Investment Data

Prepare assessments to look at the vulnerability in each area, and then consider overall vulnerability to multiple hazards. The return period, frequency, and severity of the natural hazard should be considered.

The following diagrams (taken from the NOAA/CSC Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool illustrate the vulnerability assessment phases of the project.

Critical Facilities Analysis

The following diagram shows identification of critical facilities in Hanapepe from a flood developed as part of Kauai Project Impact.

Societal Analysis

The following picture shows the map for the social analysis developed as part of Kauai Project Impact:

Economic Analysis

The following picture shows the map for the economic analysis developed as part of Kauai Project Impact:

Environmental Analysis

The following picture shows the map for the environmental analysis developed as part of Kauai Project Impact:

Mitigation Opportunities Analysis

Develop a Hazard Mitigation Strategy (Up to TOC)

The opportunities analysis can then be used to help develop the hazard mitigation strategy. The strategy should detail the hazard risks and vulnerabilities and describe a strategy for addressing potential hazards. It should identify gaps in data, planning, and policies that should be considered over time. A strategy to address these gaps should be included.

The hazard mitigation strategy will be a living document that will change over time as new studies are conducted and as technology improves. The strategy should be continuously updated so that it will meet the needs of the community should they confront a natural hazard.

The following outline describes the elements that should be included in the hazard mitigation strategy, and it can be referenced during the writing of the strategy:

     A. Hazard Mitigation Goals

     B. Identification and Analysis of Mitigation Measures
          1. Land Use Regulations
               a. Coastal Setbacks-revise based on erosions and inundation zones
               b. Flood Regulations-revise based on Flood Insurance Rate Maps flood inundation zones and floodways
               c. Zoning Code-review for high hazard areas for flood, high winds, erosions, and landslides
               d. Hazard Assessment as Part of Land Use Decisions
          2. Building Standards
               a. Uniform Building Code-Upgrade to 2000 UBC
               b. Vulnerability Audits and Retrofits
               c. Standards or Guidelines
               d. Training
          3. Community Plans
               a. Isolated Communities
               b. Special Interest Groups
                    i. Tourism Industry
                    ii. Small Business Community
          4. Public Awareness
          5. Incentives-Tax incentive, loans, grants

     C. Mitigation Projects
          1. Emergency Services Infrastructure
          2. Facilities for Vulnerable Populations
          3. Critical Infrastructure
          4. Other Public Building and Facilities
          5. Economically Important Assets
          6. Socially, Culturally and Environmentally Important Assets

     D. Implementation of Mitigation Measures

Plan Maintenance Procedures

     A. Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating the Plan

     B. Implementation through Existing Programs

     C. Continued Public Involvement

Note: The GIS work should provide a basis for the hazard, risk and vulnerability assessments that should improve the data and information used for the mitigation strategy. The mitigation strategy should contain proposals for projects and will be considerably longer than implied by the detail in the outline.

SECTION 2: Natural Hazard History and Hazard Mitigation in Kauai (Up to TOC)

HURRICANES (Up to TOC)

What Is a Hurricane?

Hurricanes, tropical storms, and typhoons are collectively known as tropical cyclones. They are among the most devastating, naturally occurring hazards in the United States and its territories. Tropical cyclones are classified as follows:

Hurricane - An intense tropical weather system with a well defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called "typhoons." Similar storms in the Indian Ocean are called "cyclones."

Tropical Storm - An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34-63 knots).

Tropical Depression - An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less;

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

What causes most of the hurricane-related damage?

Storm surge, rain, and wind cause most of the damage associated with hurricanes. · Storm surge floods and erodes coastal areas, salinizes land and groundwater, contaminates the water supply, causes agricultural losses, results in loss of life, and damages structures and infrastructure. Rain damages structures, infrastructure, and agriculture and results in loss of life. Hawaii's topography focuses the rains on mountain slopes, causing flash flood and landslides. Strong winds can result in loss of life, create tremendous amounts of debris (which impact utilities and transportation), cause agricultural losses, and destroy lightly constructed buildings (e.g., tofu-block houses).

What are the chances of a hurricane destroying my home?

No one knows. We can only make judgments using past history. Almost no one expected that a hurricane as powerful as Iniki would strike Hawaii. The best we can guess is hurricanes in the future will probably hit Hawaii as frequently as they have in the past. We know that since 1950 five hurricanes or tropical storms have caused serious damage in Hawaii. Hurricane Nina in 1957 produced record winds in Honolulu. Hurricane Dot did a lot of damage on Kauai in 1959. Hurricane Iwa did extensive damage on Kauai and Oahu in 1982. Hurricane Estelle produced very high surf on Hawaii and Maui and floods on Oahu in 1986. Hurricane Iniki did extensive damage on Kauai and Leeward Oahu in 1992. Since 1950, seven other tropical storms or hurricanes could have caused serious damage. These include Hurricane Fernanda in 1993, Hurricane Emilia in 1994, and Hurricane Daniel in August 2000.

What are the potential losses from future hurricanes on Kauai?

If a Category 1 storm as strong as Hurricane Iwa, with winds gusting at 74 mph, strikes any of the islands in the state, we can guess from past experience that about 12% of the houses and apartments could be destroyed or heavily damaged and about 18% would probably experience minor damages.

If a Category 3 storm strikes any island with the same force as Iniki, with winds raging at 130 mph, we can guess that about 38% of the homes will be heavily damaged or destroyed. An additional 40% will probably have minor damages.

The following information was extrapolated from Kauai Damage in 1982 and 1992.

($billion in 1992)

Source: Hawaii Coastal Hazard Mitigation Planning Project, Office of Planning, December 1993

Where have strong winds been measured on Kauai?

Kauai has experienced exceptionally strong trade wind events, winter Kona storms, and passing tropical storms and hurricanes. Occasionally, trade winds strengthen to between 25-40 mph for several days. Strong winds associated with winter Kona storms can reach great velocities. Passing tropical storms and hurricanes and have been reported at over 100 mph.

Often, winds accelerate as they descend from the mountains to the coastal plain. In many instances, the highest recorded gusts associated with passing storms have occurred on the side of the island opposite the storm's approach as winds burst in downdrafts across ridge crests from the steep pali to the coast below.

On Kauai, numerous high wind events have affected the entire island, and many were associated with passing storms. Hurricanes Dot (1959), Iwa (1982), and Iniki (1992) were exceptionally damaging. Hurricane Dot packed sustained winds of 75 mph with gusts of 165 mph as it passed directly over Kauai. Winds and flooding led to $5.5-6 million in agricultural losses and hundreds of houses and trees were damaged.

Hurricanes Iwa and Iniki both produced high waves ranging 20-30 feet and winds over 125 mph. Although Hurricane Iwa passed to the northwest of Kauai, the high surf it produced, combined with a 5-6 foot storm surge, flooded 600 feet inland in areas between Kekaha and Poipu and caused $312 million in damage. Ironically, despite the massive flooding and wind damage to the Poipu area, redevelopment following Iwa occurred in precisely the same location, only to be devastated 10 years later by Hurricane Iniki. Today, these same areas are once again densely developed.

On September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki, the strongest and most destructive hurricane to hit the Hawaiian Islands, made landfall just west of Port Allen on Kauai's south shore. Iniki's winds were sustained at 130 mph and gusts topped 160 mph. Winds and waves destroyed 1,421 houses and caused minor to heavy damage to some 13,000.

Local Hurricane Mitigation Activities in Kauai County

Mitigation Activities at Home

Homes can be destroyed by high winds. Flying debris can break windows and doors, allowing high winds and rain into your house. High winds can also cause weak places in your home to fail. Strengthen these areas in your house: roofs, exterior doors, windows, and garage doors. Other mitigation activities include clearing debris from the area and building a safe room in your home.

Roof:
Gable roofs need additional truss bracing to make your roof system stronger. Truss bracing consists of 2x4s running the length of your roof and gable-end bracing consists of 2x4s in an X patter. Hurricane straps and clips can also keep your roof attached to your walls and are very inexpensive. For a 1,200 square foot house, hurricane clips might cost between $400 and $600. Learn more about protective measures from your local home improvement store.

Exterior Doors:
Most double-entry doors have an active and inactive door. Check to see if the fixed door is secure enough. Some door manufactures provide reinforcing bolt kits or you can buy and install door bolt materials. Check with your local home improvement store.

Windows:
There are many types of manufactured storm shutters or you can make your own plywood shutters. Plywood shutters should be made of 5/8 inch exterior plywood and installed using bolts and masonry anchors. Remember to cover all exposed windows and glass, even French doors and skylights. Hurricane shutters cost between $1.67 per square foot to $50.00 per square foot for motorized roll-up shutters. Check with your local home improvement store.

Garage Doors:
Two-car garage doors pose a problem because they wobble in high winds and can blow out of their tracks of collapse. Some garage doors can be strengthened with retrofit kits. Installing horizontal bracing on each can reinforce some garage doors. Backing a car up against the inside of the garage door in the event of a hurricane can also help resist strong winds. Check with your local home improvement store.

Clear Debris:
Clear debris away from structures, so they do not become airborne missiles. Check with local officials about tree pruning and clearing.

Safe Rooms:
There are several options for building a safe room. A safe room made of concrete would have 8-inch mortar-filled tile walls and a 4-inch concrete ceiling, all supported with iron reinforcing rod. A wood-framed safe room would have doubled 2-by-4 studs, set 16 inches on center, faced on one side with ¾-inch plywood and on the other with 12-guage steel, and sheathed inside and out with ½-inch gypsum board. Go to your local library.

What can I do at work?

It is estimated that 43% of businesses never reopen following a local disaster, such as a hurricane.

Therefore, it is important business owners take proactive steps to protect their business, because they are a vital part of the community.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) suggest that small business owners develop a Disaster Plan that includes mitigation activities. These activities are divided into the following categories:

• Facilities (Buildings & Equipment)
• Operations
• Critical Information & Communications
• Insurance

Facilities (Buildings & Equipment)

1. Secure roof coverings to prevent them from blowing off in high winds.
2. Reinforce masonry and concrete walls to reduce their vulnerability to hurricanes.
3. Construct building frames with an adequate and continuous load path to hold together in high winds.
4. Have storm shutters available to stand up to wind-borne debris.
5. Clear Debris away from structures, so they do not become airborne missiles. Check with local officials about tree pruning and clearing

Operations

1. Purchase a backup generator to maintain full operations or critical functions in the event of a power failure.
2. Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning alarm tone and battery backup. Listen for hurricane watches and warnings.
3. Have back-up vendors and shippers in place in case your primary ones are disabled. Set up relationships in advance and maintain them.

Critical Information and Communication

1. Make backup copies of all critical records such as accounting employee data, customer lists, production formulas, inventory and critical software.
2. Store a copy of all vital information in a safe off-site location.
3. Make pre-arrangements with computer vendors to quickly replace damaged vital hardware.
4. Surge-protect all computer and phone equipment through power and phone lines. Invest in a surge protector that has a battery backup to assure that systems keep working through blackouts.
5. Maintain an up-to-date copy of phone numbers, computer and Internet logon codes and passwords, employee phone numbers and other critical information in an accessible location.
6. Develop an employee "telephone tree" to rapidly contact employees in an emergency.

Insurance

1. Review your current insurance coverage. Is it enough to get your business back in operation?
2. Be aware of your contents insurance. Does it cover the replacement cost of critical equipment?
3. Know what your insurance does not cover. Most general casualty policies do not cover flood damage; it may be a good idea to add this additional coverage.
4. Consider "business interruption" insurance that assists you with operating needs during a period of shutdown. It may help you meet payrolls, pay vendors, and purchase inventory until you are in full operation again.
5. Also be prepared for the extraordinary costs of a disaster such as leasing temporary equipment, restoring lost data, and hiring temporary workers.
6. Don't assume that, just because it never happened before, it never will.
   

FLOODS (Up to TOC)

What are floods and flashfloods?

The distinction between a flood and "flash-flood" is usually determined by the amount of warning (less than six hours for a flash-flood) that affected areas might receive prior to the flood conditions.

Flash floods may trigger hazardous events such as mud and landslides, structural bridge failures, and other threatening conditions. Rainfall intensity and duration are the primary source of flash floods. Intensity is the rate of rainfall, and duration is how long the rain lasts. Other factors include topography, soil conditions, and ground cover.

Floods are a long-term event and may last several days, or even weeks. Hurricanes and earthquakes directly cause flood conditions such as "storm surge" or tsunami respectively. There are also floods that have characteristics associated with the geographic areas they are in, such as river, coastal and urban flooding.

River Floods in Hawaii are usually triggered by hurricane or tropical storm rains.

Coastal Floods are caused by winds generated from tropical storms and hurricanes or intense offshore low-pressure systems that can drive ocean water inland and cause significant flooding.

Urban Floods are triggered because the paved streets cannot absorb the rainfall. Therefore, the streets become a river and people can lose their property and sometimes their lives.

What is the difference between "watch," "warning," and "advisory?"

The National Weather Services uses specific words when they issue alerts to the public about dangerous flood-related conditions.

Flash flood watch: A flash flood is possible in the area. Stay alert.

Flash flood warning: A flash flood is imminent or occurring; take immediate action.

Urban and small stream advisory: Flooding of small streams, streets, urban storm drains, and low-lying areas.

The Flood Risk in Kauai

According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, floods from tsunamis, hurricanes, and rainstorms caused more than 350 deaths, and over $82 million in property damage, from about 1860 until 1962. Damage from floods from 1963 through 1982 total about $395 million. From January 1983 to July 1992, twelve deaths have been attributed to flooding. The 1987 New Year's Flood caused an estimated $35 million in damage. Floods in March 1991 resulted in damage estimated at $10-$15 million. In December 1991, floods damaged an estimated $7 million in property.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid a total of $51.7 million in claims since 1974 to Hawaii's policyholders, $35.6 million of which were related to Hurricane Iniki. Though small compared to the $1.6 billion in insurance claims paid by the private industry following Iniki, the number and total value of flood insurance policies has more than doubled since 1994. Information on the National Flood Insurance Program appears below. In the appendix, there are tables with flood terminology and discussion of the community rating system.

National Flood Insurance Program

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides federally-backed flood insurance to property owners in communities that regulate development in floodplains. The United States' Congress established NFIP to "reduce the loss of life and property and rising cost of disaster due to flooding." The National Flood Insurance Program is a voluntary program based on agreements between federal and local governments. In order to participate, a community must adopt and enforce certain minimum building and land use standards designed to reduce property damage from flooding. These regulations, among other things, require new or substantially remodeled structures within special flood hazard areas to be engineered and/or elevated in order to withstand anticipated flood conditions. They also require communities to prohibit development in floodways-areas that allow flood waters to discharge from special flood hazard areas. NFIP also shifts the cost of flood damage from taxpayers, who ultimately pay for disaster relief, to property owners through flood insurance premiums.

The risk of flood damage to the structure's lowest floor from a "100 year flood" provides the basis for National Flood Insurance Program premiums. Flood Insurance Rate Maps-also based on the "100-year" flood line-delineate special hazard areas and applicable risk premium zones (Appendix One). These Federal Emergency Management Agency generated maps serve as primary reference documents for the National Flood Insurance Program and other flood-related policies and programs at all levels of government.

New National Flood Insurance Program Regulations and Requirements for Participation

The Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act was signed into law in 1994. This Act amended the enabling National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) legislation in order to reduce federal spending on flood losses and to improve the financial status of NFIP. To this end, it directs federal loan agencies and federally regulated or insured lending institutions to "require flood insurance when making, increasing, extending, or renewing loans and to maintain the coverage for the life of the loan" for all homes in special flood hazard areas. The Act also authorizes: (1) mitigation assistance grants for states and communities to protect homes and businesses; and (2) mitigation insurance for rebuilding to meet improved design and construction standards.

In 1994, new National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations were also promulgated to require all property owners (including those in high-rise condominiums) in "special flood hazard areas" - as determined by the community's Flood Insurance Rate Map-to insure their properties against flood damage equal to 80% of replacement value.

Changes in NFIP regulations since 1994 have required additional homeowners in Hawaii to buy flood insurance. As a result, the number of Hawaii's NFIP policies more than doubled over an eighteen month period. In December 1994, there were 22,140 flood insurance policies statewide. By July 1996, the number of policies had increased to 47,801 (Table 1), giving Hawaii the largest per capita participation in the NFIP in the United States, and third highest number of policies overall. Over the same period, the value of NFIP policies in Hawaii increased from over $2.5 billion to over $5.7 billion.

Table 1: Flood Insurance Trends in Kauai, 1993 to 1996