Red Road Community Emergency Response Plan

Part 1: A community guide for preparation, response, and recovery across the Red Road.

Official alerts and emergency orders always take precedence. This plan supports neighbor-to-neighbor readiness while professional responders are delayed or managing wider emergencies.

Plan outline

Introduction

Blue Skies preparedness

Anticipatory phase

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Tsunami

Lava flow

Recovery phase

Section 1

Introduction

In a disaster, we may be on our own for some time

As shoreline communities along HWY 137, known locally as the Red Road, we face the very real potential of natural disasters (tropical storms, tsunamis and lava flows). During such incidents, outside help is likely to be delayed by damage to access roads and outside responders may be overwhelmed responding to other communities and we may need to take care of ourselves for at least 72 hours before help arrives. In the past we have also experienced even longer delays in the re-establishment of power and communication. We must be prepared to help each other when an emergency occurs. Once help arrives, we will work with local officials and other groups to ensure everyone’s safety.

Our potential disasters

Experience shows that we need to be prepared for tropical storms, earthquakes and possible tsunami, and lava flow. Additionally, during times of extensive drought, wildfires are possible.

Our emergency plan

This plan, a guide for preparation, response and recovery, was created by community volunteers organized as the Red Road Resilience Network (RRRN) who:

Identified potential risks that could impact our community;

Identified people and places that may require extra assistance;

Compiled a list of essential supplies and resources for emergencies; and

Developed procedures for response implementation.

It is a living document, open to revision by community members following simulated exercises involving all our communities and following any actual disaster.

The plan has 3 parts: Part 1, for all residents, looks at the disaster phases of our potential disasters (tropical storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, lava flows and wildfire)

“Blue Skies” (Normal times) – PREPARATION – time to share information, make plans, gather resources. It is the time to build personal and community resilience.

Anticipatory – GETTING READY – with advanced warning, a time for reviewing plans, deciding to evacuate or stay-in-place as long as possible, gathering or refreshing needed supplies. Active preparation intensifies as disaster becomes more imminent.

Impact – HUNKER DOWN

Response – IMMEDIATE ACTION – emphasizes tending to medical and psychological needs of people and animals, clearing roads, distributing supplies, finding housing for displaced persons, maintaining communication links

Recovery – BUILD BACK BETTER and CARING for the ĀINA –connecting people with resources, providing longer term planning and action to build more sustainable and resilient communities and restore our natural land and seascapes

Parts 2 and 3 of the plan are a handbook for community members who are willing to volunteer their time and energy during disasters. It is the “what, when, who and how” of our disaster management effort.

The success of our Emergency Plan depends on community members who volunteer. There’s a role for everyone – those with special skills and those who would just like to help.
But it is critical to understand the priority of all community volunteers is their own and their family’s wellbeing and no volunteer will be responsible for assisting in conditions that imperil their own safety.

The following information, based on the experiences of residents in many communities, is intended as an overview, a refresher, a starting point. It is not designed to be a complete comprehensive guide. This guide is planned to be reviewed periodically.

BASIC DEFINITIONS USED IN THE PLAN

Disaster: a serious event that disrupts a community’s ability to cope using its own resources.
Individual/Family Emergency Plan: a guide to ensure everyone knows where to go, what to do, how to communicate during an emergency.
Go Bag: a portable “ready-to-go” bag of essential supplies, copies of records, cash and other needs when evacuating.
Evacuation: to leave the area for a secure location.
Stay-in-Place: to choose to remain at home during an emergency with a 14-day supply of food/water/other needs.
Red Road Resilience Network (RRRN): a community of volunteers to plan and carry out localized disaster preparation and response.
Vibrant Hawai‘i (VH): an organization with more than 20 local resilience hubs and a wide range of resilience activities
Civil Defense (CD): in Hawai‘i County, responsible for coordinating emergency response
Specialized Response Hub: a hub offering a range of response services to all (e.g., communications, planning, resource distribution, triage and information). Location determined by post-impact survey of facility condition and road access.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC): Civil Defense located in Hilo and locally at a specialized response hub.
Emergency Command Group: community volunteers who take on the role of leading the Red Road disaster response until help arrives

Community input stays private until RRRN approves it.

Section 2

Blue Skies preparedness

An emergency event can be described as having phases:

Plan phases: Blue Skies preparedness → Anticipatory → Impact → Response → Recovery

Normal “Blue Skies” Phase

BLUE SKIES = PREPARATION – time to share information, make plans, gather resources.
The FIRST step is always being informed and prepared for all types of emergencies. This step is really a continuing process taking place during normal or “blue skies” period. Preparedness makes the difference on how well you and your family fare in any emergency. It also can lessen the destruction of residences during hurricanes. Some emergencies like local residential fires, earthquakes, explosions, even now active-shooter situations, have no advanced warning phases and all members of the community are advised to monitor and follow the specific directions of emergency notifications provided by Civil Defense on its alert system.

YOUR PREPARATION PLANNING

SUCCESS DEPENDS ON MULTI-LEVEL PLANNING

We are in an area vulnerable to disasters and at a distance from any outside help. Advanced multi-level planning can dramatically affect how we fare in disasters.

You with your family
identify what steps to take, where to meet if separated, who to contact…

You with your immediate neighbors
planning how to check on & help each other, how to share resources, how to coordinate clean-up

You with your local neighborhood
join together to assist in evacuation, do damage assessments, wellness checks & reports

You with the Red Road Community
join the Red Road Resilience Network of community volunteers to:
* in the communities, provide search and rescue, immediate 1st aid, hazard marking, road clearing, traffic control and
* at a specialized response hub, distribute food/water, provide 1st aid/trauma support, provide information & connection to resources.

Determine Your Own and our Communities Strengths and Weaknesses

HOW VULNERABLE AM I?

Consider:

Location: tsunami zone, lava zone, level with ocean or on crumbling cliffs, surrounded by large trees…
Structures: main residence hurricane strapped, coverings for openings; additional buildings structural condition – greenhouse/shade house, workshops, storage/equipment sheds.
Personal/Family: health and medical needs, young and elderly family members who need assistance or have medical device needs
Pet and other Animal Needs
Amount of preparation done
Alternative housing option
Cash availability

OUR COMMUNITY – Strengths and Weaknesses

Our Red Road Communities are small, connected to each other by one shoreline road, vulnerable to storm and tsunami damage. We have no professional or volunteer fire/EMT department and police, schools and services are 15-20 minutes away by one of two access roads. With long commuting distances to Hilo, the majority of residents are retired, requiring more medical services, residence maintenance and personal care, and shopping and transportation assistance as they age. We are also home to many vacation/second-home residences used sporadically or often rented. With higher poverty rates, there are many unpermitted temporary and semi-permanent housing structures. Individual neighborhoods are disconnected by areas owned by the State and Hawaiian Trusts.

Yet, we are more self-sufficient, with many homes off-grid generating their own power through solar with generator back-up. With fewer resources, family and neighbor-to-neighbor sharing arrangements are common. Growing food crops is an ever-increasing activity. The Hawaiian community has maintained connection and kuleana for the area particularly through the efforts of the Pohakupelemaka organization. Residents have a commitment to the preservation of the character of this area through a corridor management plan first developed as part of the State Scenic Byway designation program. The area is also home to the Hawai‘i Environmental Restoration lowland forest project. Additionally, the SPACE facility has long been a center for learning and the Uncle Robert’s complex provides social gathering for all.

DECIDE, WHAT DO I NEED TO EVACUATE OR STAY-IN-PLACE?

EVACUATE	STAY-IN-PLACE
EVACUATE TO ALTERNATIVE HOUSING (family/other) EVACUATE TO SHELTER comfort items: camp chairs, pillows, blankets	A room/space not exposed to outside without heavy ceiling lights/fans 14-day supply of food/water per person and pets Camp stove and propane, coolers, water purification tablets

BECOME PART OF A COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TEAM – THE RED ROAD RESILIENCE NETWORK (RRRN)

Our community is dependent on neighbors caring for neighbors by volunteering to prepare, train, and respond to emergencies. The RRRN provides the means to recruit, train, organize and facilitate community team responses as well as staffing a specialized response hub to provide for a centralized planning and services center.
In emergencies, community team volunteers fulfill the critical role of “being-first-on-the ground” to provide immediate assistance as outside professional responders are delayed by road closures or are overwhelmed responding to the needs of multiple communities.
Upon the arrival of outside help, volunteers shift first to providing support to professional responders and then transition to providing long-term recovery planning and service agencies connections.
But it is critical to understand the first priority of all community volunteers is their own and their family’s wellbeing and no volunteer will be responsible for assisting in conditions that imperil their own safety.

Possible Local “In-the-Field” Volunteer Opportunities

Damage Assessment/Welfare Check – Responsible for an initial damage assessment and welfare check. [Civil Defense standards trained];

Evacuation – Responsible for assisted evacuations;

Debris Clearing -Responsible conducting road assessments and clearing neighborhood roadways of obstructions such as fallen trees and other debris that prevent access from medical responders and for residents who are in need of emergency transport or an escape route.
Search and Rescue – Conducts search, rescue and triage operations including initial medical treatment of victims at the scene. This should be limited to each team member’s abilities and training. [CERT qualified]

Medical – Primarily responsible for medical aid for the injured. [CERT members and those trained in first aid]

Animal Rescue – Coordinated with the HAKA organization

Access Road Clearing – Responsible for clearing major access and any future emergency-only access road

Traffic and Transportation – Responsible for traffic management and the ground transportation of personnel, supplies, and equipment as necessary

Specialized Response Hub-Centered/Coordinated Volunteer Opportunities

Emergency Command Group – Overall responsibility for disaster response, simulation exercises and plan revisions

Medical – Maintaining a triage area, communicating with and assisting 1st responders and the preparation of reports and records.

Distribution – Distributes supplies from local and outside sources

Communications – Maintains communications throughout an emergency, informs residents, facilitates resident contacts with out-of-area families, provides a charging station

Facility Maintenance/Security – Assures the facility is maintained in order and all are safe
Long-Term Recovery – Provides connection to resources

Āina Care – Works to remove harm, rebuilds pre-existing capacities and build additional capacities for environmental stability

SPECIFIC TASKS

What should community members do?

Even when “skies are blue” make basic preparations:

Assess vulnerability, make a personal/family plan, understand the collective capacities/vulnerabilities of close-by family, neighbors/friends. Help others understand how to stay safe and assist them in making emergency plans.

Stay aware of possible disasters and changing conditions. Monitor the County of Hawai‘i Hazard Impact Map and sign up for Civil Defense alerts

Scan important documents, make a photo record of residence and contents

Prepare at least 1 go bag per person (another for car if commuting daily.)

Prepare a pet go bag with ID, leashes, bowls, wipes; have carriers and crate train and socialize.

Assess structural condition of residence and any additional buildings, make improvements, prepare storm coverings for residence openings, buy tie downs, covers, ropes, needed locks, make a plan to store outdoor furniture, trash cans.

Get involved in projects that strengthen community resilience and readiness.

Work with others to protect the āina.

Important: a local earthquake can generate a tsunami. The only warning you may have is a personal one. If you are in a tsunami area and feel an extended shaking so hard you cannot stand, leave the area immediately as soon as possible.

What will each local community/neighborhood do?

Identify at-risk community members, assist with personal evacuation plans, assist in evacuations

Distribute preparedness information

Organize community volunteers

What will the Red Road Resilience Network (RRRN) hub do?

The emphasis is on maintaining a culture of preparedness by:

Offering leadership and volunteer training and opportunities through Vibrant Hawai‘i and the hub

Maintaining a dedicated Resilience Website

Providing Disaster Prevention talks and workshops

Offering resource fairs and events

Advocating for alternative evacuation and connectivity routes

Promoting care and protection for the āina

What will the Emergency Command Group (ECG) do

Provide annual tabletop and community simulation (Exercise of the Plan)

Collect feedback and modify the plan

Community input stays private until RRRN approves it.

Section 3

Anticipatory phase

The following addresses the anticipatory phase (when an event is expected) of three emergencies – hurricanes, tsunami, lava flow – that have impacted our community in the past and can be expected in the future and that each have offered a degree of advanced warning. This phase may be described as one in which a situation or threat has developed that requires enhanced monitoring and coordination) and progressing to one in which the situation or threat has developed to a point that requires personal and community readiness including stand-by notification, coordination, preparation, intense monitoring and reporting to the community by the hub.

Community input stays private until RRRN approves it.

Section 4

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Civil Defense will begin tracking and sending notifications in advance. We may have up to 5 days to prepare. The storm category listing is an indication of wind velocity only. Recent storms in the Atlantic seem to suggest climate changes result in strong storm surges and persistent heavy rains regardless of the wind velocity. Storms coming from the south over our warmer waters may remain at strength or strengthen unless impacted by wind shear conditions. Also check on a storm progress through Civil Defense notifications and Hawaii Tracker on Facebook. Additionally, apps such as Zoom Earth can provide graphic information.

What should community members do?

72 hours prior	48 hours prior	36 hours prior	24 hours prior	12 hours prior
Begin monitoring Civil Defense notifications, radio and TV announcements, the Incident pages of the RRRN website Hawaii Tracker & apps like Zoom Earth. Review personal preparedness & Community Emergency Plans.	Begin securing homes, pets, gather supplies, consider whether to Shelter in Place or evacuate, and will activate personal preparedness plan.	Secure outside objects and vehicles, ensure food, water, fuel, and cash supplies	If sheltering in place, secure a room within home to use as a safe location.	Prepare to shelter in place or evacuate to a shelter.

What will each local community/neighborhood do?

72 hours prior	48 hours prior	36 hours prior	24 hours prior	12 hours prior
Alert teams of possible activity Check and make available supplies	Before impact, assist those who need early evacuation. Timing is determined by each community.	—	Create a confidential list of evacuated residences for future safety patrols	—

What will the RRRN do?

72 hours prior	48 hours prior	36 hours prior	24 hours prior	12 hours prior
ECG mobilizes to take command Begins monitoring and posting preparedness alerts, information, and approach status on the website and social media	Coordinate with local communities/neighborhoods to provide traffic control for early evacuees Alert volunteers of potential activation	Review response facility and supplies and equipment checklist	Notify community of possible suspension of normal community activities Determine what local resources are available	Inform the community of areas likely to be affected, important places and buildings that could be impacted. Review for the community what actions will need to be taken first.

Community input stays private until RRRN approves it.

Section 5

Tsunami

Tsunamis, or seismic sea waves, are caused most frequently by earthquakes, but may be caused by submarine landslides or submarine volcanic eruptions. They are more frequent in the Pacific Ocean because of the many large earthquakes along the ocean’s margins. A tsunami is a series of waves with crests arriving every 10-60 minutes. The first wave may not be the largest and may continue over several hours. A tsunami coming from the north could give us as little as 5 hours’ notice. A tsunami coming from the south might provide 14 hours’ notice. Some events, like earthquakes and local tsunamis, can happen without warning.

Know your vulnerability

Check the tsunami map at https://tsunami.coast.noaa.gov and enter your location

What should community members do?

Local Earthquake: You may have only 15 -30 minutes.

Leave the shoreline immediately if you feel an earthquake – even before a notification or siren warning.

Do not go near the shoreline to watch the water start to recede.

Head for higher ground (out of the tsunami zone)

Only if handy, bring your go bag.

ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE ALL-CLEAR NOTIFICATION BEFORE REENTERING THE TSUNAMI ZONE

Exercise extreme caution near any damaged shoreline cliff face.

Distant Earthquake: Civil Defense will continually provide information on the expected arrival time based on data from tsunami detection buoys.

Do not ignore warnings or mandatory evacuation.

Do not go near the shoreline to watch.

If your home is in the tsunami zone, pack your vehicle with go bags, snacks/drinks and take your family and pets out of the tsunami zone.

If separated from family, notify them when you are in a safe place.

If you are in the area but not in the tsunami zone, stay away from the shoreline and the Red Road which is in the zone

ALWAYS WAIT FOR THE ALL-CLEAR NOTIFICATION BEFORE REENTERING THE TSUNAMI ZONE

Exercise extreme caution near any damaged shoreline cliff face.

What will each local community/neighborhood do?

Notify any community resident in a tsunami area of warning

In the case of a local earthquake (little warning time), provide nearby parking/support

Prevent “look-a-loo” traffic from entering the tsunami area.

What will the RRRN do?

Designate a parking lot (preferably with bathrooms available) for those waiting for the all-clear notification. If possible, plan for short-term “parking lot” facility assistance: communication, water, snacks, parking and pet control, restroom

Coordinate with local communities on access control to tsunami areas.

Notify residents not in tsunami zone to stay away from Red Road and tsunami areas.

Make plans to coordinate local community groups in doing damage assessment after all-clear

Provide drinking water

Convey Civil Defense information

Arrange for those without phones to contact family.

Provide situation reports to Civil Defense through the Survey 1-2-3 app

Community input stays private until RRRN approves it.

Section 6

Lava flow

The Red Road communities are all located below the East Rift. All except an area in Kehena are in Lava Zone 2. The most recent flow in 2018 underscored the continual threat of possible total destruction. Even though our area was spared, we all faced significant air pollution, the possibility of all access roads, communication and power lost, and the stress of waiting.

Possible early warning signs

Frequency of small earthquakes

Lava filling the caldera

Signs magma is moving in the East Rift

What should community members do?

Review emergency plans

Continually monitor information

Refill go-bags for each person and for pets

Have pet crates and supplies ready

Confirm alternative housing options

Update copies of documents and recent photo files of the residence and contents

Closely monitor family members with asthma or other breathing/medical problem

Monitor and keep confined pets who may be stressed

If possible, provide evacuation help for neighbors with elderly, young, or with medical issues.

If inundation a strong possibility, plan removing to safety: immediate evacuation supplies, then items essential to living elsewhere, then items of personal and family importance

Keep family and friends aware of your status and plans.

What will each local community/neighborhood do?

Assist in the early evacuation of at-risk residents

Provide orderly evacuation-traffic control

What will the RRRN do?

Continually provide accurate information

Post air quality advisories

Community input stays private until RRRN approves it.

Section 7

Recovery phase

A disaster is a traumatic event for each individual, for the community and for the āina. It can be likened to a long winding road, full of potholes, curves and detours with no end in sight. The RRRN and its network of community groups can play a crucial role in assisting individuals, rebuilding a resilient community and addressing impacts on the āina.

What can community members do?

Use the recovery phase to “build back better”, incorporating more sustainable and rain and wind-resistant features.

Re-construct residence landscapes to prune or remove large trees close to the residence, build in micro-climate areas, plant in patterns to conserve water during dry times and manage runoff during wet times, incorporate more food crops and substitute native plants for invasives.

Continue to engage in sharing networks and community events.

Share suggestions and lessons learned with the hub network.

Participate in projects that address the recovery needs of the āina