Civil Defense wants
$4M for shelters

The two-year funding is part
of $35 million needed to make
up the shortfall in space

If tsunamis on the scale of those that struck southern Asia last month were to hit Hawaii, the state would need emergency shelter space for about 175,000 people on all islands, a top state Civil Defense official told lawmakers yesterday.

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Vice Director of Civil Defense Ed Teixeira said his agency would need about $35 million to completely make up the shortfall but is seeking only $4 million from the Legislature during the next two fiscal years.

That money would be used to renovate, upgrade and strengthen existing sites that could serve as emergency shelters in the event of a tsunami or other natural disaster, he said.

"We're seeking smaller amounts to make incremental changes," Teixeira said.

The $4 million would increase shelter space for about 40,000 people, he said.

Teixeira was among the officials from state agencies, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, county police and fire departments, and tourism and hotel industry groups who went before two House committees to provide information about the state's readiness to handle a tsunami.

Rep. Ken Ito, chairman for public safety and military affairs, said he would push to fund the $2 million a year being sought by Civil Defense for shelter upgrades.

"We want to put the money upfront to be prepared and be ready," said Ito (D, Heeia-Kaneohe).

Teixeira said his agency also was seeking continued support for $2 million appropriated each year for ongoing upgrades of the state's 356 emergency alert sirens and $1.25 million over three years to accelerate updates being made to state evacuation maps found in the front of island telephone books.

However, Teixeira bristled at the notion that the maps -- drawn in 1991 -- might be out of date and inaccurate.

He said the maps were drawn after an exhaustive study that analyzed 100 years of tsunami and seismic data using the best available technology.

"I stand by it; we all stand by it," Teixeira said. "These are good, effective evacuation maps.

"The question is, Can we do better? Yes. You give us more technology ... perhaps we can come up with a better product -- better evacuation zones in some areas."

Officials also stressed the need to educate the public about tsunami evacuation plans. For example, Teixeira noted that if a siren alert prompted parents to rush to schools to pick up their children, that could result in traffic gridlock and prevent people in the evacuation zones from getting to higher ground.