Normally when watching the weather channel, all we need to know is if an umbrella will be necessary in the coming days, or if we should carry a jacket because the normal 75 degrees will drop to 68 degrees.
So perhaps this is why there have been so many complaints about the mini tsunami that kept people indoors and ruined this past Saturday in Hawai‘i. So often – too often – have I heard that Hawai‘i got it wrong again, that officials wasted our time warning us about a tsunami that quickly came and went with no serious danger, property damages or deaths.
The $330,000 bill from the tsunami scare also irritates some Hawai‘i taxpayers. This is the approximate amount owed to police and firefighters for working overtime.
But Mayor Mufi Hannemann disagrees, as should all residents of Hawai‘i, that the time and money was put to waste. Instead, Saturday proved to be the best test run, ever; there’s never a more accurate trial than one with added realism and scare.
After all, this proved that if another natural disaster were to threaten our state, the Islands will be ready. And any forms of miscommunication that may have happened or any broken and aged sirens that were not sound will be looked into and fixed.
On an even smaller scale, people should think of this as a practice run for family and for themselves. At the sound of the sirens, everyone needed to quickly take note of essential items – some obvious, and others not as much.
At 6 in the morning on Saturday, everyone in my household gathered clothes, toiletries, flashlights, food and water. Then we decided to bring pots and pans, eating utensils and towels that could double as blankets or pillows.
Once that was done, everyone jumped in the car and realized we forgot our dog’s leash, her water and food bowl, and her medication. Then my grandma forgot her walking cane and I had forgotten my glasses.
Other items recommended by the American Red Cross for emergency preparedness kits that people might not automatically consider are tents, thread and needles, a whistle, chlorine bleach, and important family documents such as social security cards and insurance policies.
When it comes down to it, Hawai‘i luckily dodged another disaster. Modern technology allows scientists to predict some disasters beforehand, but no science is ever one hundred percent accurate.
Instead, Islanders should count their blessings that nothing happened and say, “Lucky we live Hawai‘i.”
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