Ana should dispel our complacency

Disaster preparedness requires constant vigilance. During this exceptionally active 2014 hurricane season, one of the risks is that "preparedness fatigue" may set in, as the general public learns of yet another storm off shore and wonders whether it’s really necessary this time to prepare for the worst.

The short answer: Yes. Every single storm that strengthens in the Pacific is a separate, urgent event and requires careful preparation ahead of the projected landfall. Prepare for Tropical Storm Ana according to the usual checklist: stock up on nonperishable food and bottled water, gas up the car and make sure the flashlight and radio have extra batteries. Hawaii State Civil Defense offers comprehensive planning guides at http://scd.hawaii.gov/dp_kit.html. Simple steps taken now are worth the trouble, even if the storm ends up veering safely away from the islands.

One point worth emphasizing is how important it is for able-bodied residents to look out for vulnerable family members, friends and neighbors. While it’s no trouble for most folks to stop at the grocery store after work and pick up the essentials, those potentially lifesaving preparations are impossible for the housebound, including the disabled, frail or elderly residents living on their own.

As state and county agencies focus on the emergency measures they’ll need to take if Ana continues to strengthen and remains on its current trajectory, let’s as a community commit not only to preparing to take care of ourselves, but also to looking out for one another. That’s the combination of gritty self-reliance and aloha spirit that inhabitants of these remote islands have always embodied.

The seriousness of Ana’s threat has already prompted cancellation of public schools on Hawaii island on Friday, and has disrupted inter-scholastic athletic events and student activities there and elsewhere through the weekend. On Oahu, the weekend BayFest at Kaneohe’s Marine Corps Base Hawaii has been canceled.

As is always the case during hurricane season, Ana’s path and potential impact are far from assured; the track and intensity could change over the next several days. The best-case scenario is that the storm weakens, shifts direction and passes far south of the islands, bringing only high surf. The worst-case scenario is that it strengthens and hits one or more islands as a hurricane, with damaging winds and heavy rain that cause flooding and storm surge.

It’s always best to plan for the worst, of course. The predicted trajectory of this storm has it headed toward Hawaii’s major population centers, intensifying the need for prudent, calm preparations. As of Wednesday night, Ana was on a path that would have it skirting the southern edge of Hawaii island on Sunday and hitting Oahu and Kauai on Sunday and Monday.

As Hurricane Iselle illustrated in August, even a rapidly weakening storm can wreak major havoc. Iselle had been downgraded to a moderate tropical storm by the time it hit the island of Hawaii, but still brought such heavy rain and strong winds that millions of dollars worth of crops, homes and other property were destroyed. Downed trees contributed to prolonged power outages, and the primary election was disrupted.

The other islands were generally spared Iselle’s wrath, and also felt no impact from Hurricane Julio, which passed north of the islands days after Iselle and turned out to be a non-event statewide. Oahu residents, especially, might feel as though they overprepared for those earlier threats and therefore let down their guard as Ana approaches. That would be a grave mistake.

Hurricane season lasts through November. As the current weather forecast clearly indicates, we’re not out of the woods yet.