Hawaii 24/7 Staff

UPDATED: 11 P.M. TUESDAY, AUG 5

SCHOOLS CLOSED; SHELTERS OPEN

The state Department of Education (DOE) is scheduling closures at designated public schools in advance of storms Iselle and Julio.

On Thursday, Aug. 7, all public schools in Hawaii and Maui Counties (Maui, Molokai, Lanai) will be closed. All other public schools will remain open and continue their regular school schedule and afterschool activities.

“The force of these storms remain uncertain, however, we do not want to wait until last minute to close our schools,” Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said. “Additionally, many of our schools are designated emergency shelters and it is necessary to prepare these facilities as the storms approach.”

State and County Civil Defense officials expect Iselle to impact Hawaii Island and Maui County (Maui, Molokai, Lanai) on Thursday. Julio is currently forecasted to impact the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday.

School closures are being made according to the storms’ paths and in preparation of designated emergency shelter sites.

On Wednesday, Aug. 6, the following Hawaii County public schools, which are designated emergency shelters, will close at 2 p.m.

This means all afterschool activities for students and staff are canceled at these schools, as well as any scheduled public meetings.

Hawaii County designated shelters:

* Laupahoehoe
* Kohala High & Elementary
* Kealakehe High (pet friendly)
* Konawaena High (pet friendly)
* Hilo High (pet friendly)
* Waiakea High (pet friendly)
* Keaau High (pet friendly)
* Pahoa High & Intermediate (pet friendly)
* Honokaa High & Intermediate (pet friendly)
* Kau High (pet friendly)
* Waikoloa Elementary

Also, all public schools in Hawaii and Maui Counties (Maui, Molokai, Lanai) will be closed Thursday, Aug. 7.

The schools in Hawaii and Maui Counties that are designated emergency shelters will remain closed Friday.

In Hawaii County, three complex areas serve more than 23,000 students: Hilo-Laupahoehoe-Waiakea (7,864), Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena (10,167), Ka‘u-Keaau-Pahoa (5,414). There are more than 21,000 students in Maui County on three islands. Statewide, the DOE serves about 185,000 students at 255 public schools.

DOE officials continue to meet with State Civil Defense and are closely monitoring the storms’ patterns.

Information regarding public schools and afterschool activities will be announced as needed.

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DLNR TO CLOSE AREAS FOR ARRIVAL OF STORM SYSTEMS

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is advising the public to follow instructions of State Civil Defense and County Civil Defense agencies to prepare for the possibility of heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, power outages, large surf and coastal surge with the arrival of tropical storm system Iselle as early as Thursday on the Big Island.

Both Iselle, and Julio in its wake, are evolving storm systems whose track and intensity may be affected by various weather factors. However, people should heed National Weather Service reports and be ready in event of emergency situations.

DLNR is asking for the public’s cooperation with this announcement of area closures as the storms approach. Additional closures may follow as the storms approach.

People are advised to avoid forested and coastal areas due to potential for rising streams, flash flooding, falling trees or high surf.

Areas closing on Wednesday Aug. 6:

Hawaii Island – By 6 p.m., Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will close all of its managed lands, including forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, natural area reserves, Na Ala Hele hiking trails, game management areas, including Keanakolu cabins, Ainapo hiking trail, Muliwai trail and Waimanu valley campground until further notice. DOFAW has suspended issuing camping permits.

Maui County – By 6 p.m., Maui DOFAW will close all of its managed lands, including forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, natural area reserves, Na Ala Hele hiking trails, game management areas (including Lanai GMA); this closure also affects Polipoli State Park (persons with camping permits are being notified).

Oahu – DOFAW has closed the Peacock Flats camping area to hiking and camping, and the Manoa Falls trail.

Kauai – By 6 p.m. DOFAW camping areas, including Waimea Canyon, Alakai Wilderness, Sugi Grove and Kawaikoi will be closed. As of Wednesday morning, Division of State Parks will close Napali Coast State Wilderness Park and the Kalalau trail will be closed to entering hikers. Trail closed signs will be posted at the Kalalau trailhead. State Parks will send a helicopter out on Wednesday to warn campers at Kalalau beach to evacuate or shelter in place.

Division of State Parks is suspending issuance of any new park camping permits statewide that would begin before Tuesday, Aug. 12. This directive may be modified island by island as the track of the storms and their effects become known.

Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) does not plan to close any state small boat harbors but is advising boaters to monitor VHF radio for Coast Guard information on port closures and other safety advisories.

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HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK PREPARES FOR HURRICANE

In anticipation of Hurricane Iselle bearing down on the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will remain open, but park officials are closing all backcountry areas and some roads.

Park officials will close the following areas as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014.

Closures will remain in effect until the storm has passed and conditions are safe:

– Chain of Craters Road, from Devastation Trail parking lot to the coast

– All backcountry areas, including Mauna Loa and cabins

– Mauna Loa Road (known locally as “Mauna Loa Strip Road”)

– All coastal areas and trails, including, Apua Point, Keauhou, Halape, and Kaaha

– Kulanaokuaiki campsite

– Napau campsite

– Namakanipaio campgrounds (the A-frame cabins will remain open)

Additional closures may be warranted as the storm gets closer. Kilauea Visitor Center will remain open during its normal hours, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurston Lava Tube will remain open. Volcano House and Kilauea Military Camp will remain open.

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HAWAIIAN AIRLINES TO WAIVE CHANGE FEES (AUG. 7-8)

Hawaiian Airlines will waive reservation change fees and differences in fares for customers who need to change their travel plans because of Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio.

Effective immediately, customers who are ticketed for travel on Hawaiian Airlines on Aug. 7 and 8, 2014 will be permitted to change their reservations without charge to flights through Aug. 12, 2014.

Change must be made prior to the departure of the originally scheduled flight and ticketed on or before Aug. 12, 2014.

All change fees and applicable difference in fares will be waived provided that changes are made in the same class of service (i.e., Coach to Coach or First to First), based on seat availability and subject to the restrictions noted above.

Changes must be made by Hawaiian Airlines personnel in Reservations or at the airport.

Normal refund rules will apply.

Customers needing assistance should call Hawaiian Airlines’ reservations department at the toll-free number 1-800-367-5320.

For updates on status of flights this week, travelers are also advised to continue check www.HawaiianAirlines.com

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YOUNG BROTHERS SCHEDULE CHANGES

During the course of the next several days, Young Brothers will be issuing updates on its operations at each port of call throughout Hawaii as they may be affected by Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio.

For All Ports (including Honolulu) through at least the remainder of this week, Young Brothers will accept only straightload (containerized) cargo.

Specifically:

Young Brothers will not accept livestock, hazardous cargo, explosives or vehicles (other than emergency- response and public safety vehicles).

In addition, because of a very limited window to deliver cargo, Young Brothers will not accept less- than-container-load (LCL) cargo on Wednesday and Thursday (and possibly on Friday depending on weather conditions). This limitation does not apply to emergency or medical supplies.

Young Brothers asks customers to transport only essential cargo for the remainder of this week.

If any of the sailings described below are cancelled, Young Brothers will seek to undertake special sailings to deliver straightload (containerized) cargo over the weekend, as weather conditions permit.

Tuesday Sailing to Hilo:

Young Brothers’ barge departed Tuesday for the Port of Hilo, with a scheduled arrival on Wednesday. Only straightload (containerized) cargo will be available on Wednesday night (with barge arrival now scheduled at approximately at 5 p.m.). We will update the barge’s arrival time and provide customers with times for pick-up on Wednesday night (straightload cargo only). The port likely will be closed on Thursday.

No LCL outbound cargo (refrigerated or dry) will be accepted in Hilo this week and until further notice.

Tuesday Sailing to Kaumalapau and Kaunakakai:

Young Brothers’ barge has departed for the ports of Kaumalapau and Kaunakakai as scheduled.

Cargo will be available on Wednesday as scheduled at Kaumalapau and on Thursday as scheduled at Kaunakakai. It is recommended that all cargo be retrieved from these ports prior to noon on Thursday.

Wednesday and Thursday Sailings to Kahului:

Under conditions as presently forecasted, Young Brothers expects that Maui’s Wednesday barge will sail as scheduled, with cargo available until noon Thursday. However, Kahului Harbor could close early on Wednesday, which will preclude this sailing from occurring.
Under conditions as presently forecasted, Young Brothers will not be able to sail its Thursday barge to Kahului.

Thursday Sailing to Nawiliwili:

Young Brothers is presently planning to sail to Nawiliwili on Thursday as scheduled, with a possibility of a delayed arrival in Nawiliwili on Friday.

Thursday Sailing to Kawaihae:

Young Brothers anticipates that, under presently forecasted conditions, it will not be able to sail to Kawaihae on Thursday and that this port will be closed on Friday and possibly as early as Thursday.

Each of these plans for Young Brothers’ port operations are subject to change based on the weather conditions and directions given to us by the United States Coast Guard and the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation.

Young Brothers encourages its customers to visit www.youngbrothershawaii.com for updates throughout the day.

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STATE ADVISES HOMEOWNERS TO CHECK INSURANCE POLICIES

As Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio approach Hawaii, state Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito advises residents to review their insurance policies.

“With severe weather in the forecast, it’s a good time to review your homeowner’s insurance policy, since standard homeowner policies do not cover hurricane and flood damage,” said Ito. “Residents should also familiarize themselves with the type of coverage they have, deductible amounts and claims procedures.”

The Insurance Division also encourages homeowners to prepare for a hurricane by taking an inventory of their belongings. Policyholders can take pictures or use the free MyHome mobile app released by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

This simple step can help save time in the event that a homeowner needs to file a claim, and will improve their chances of fully recovering what their policy covers.

Homeowners with specific questions about their policies should call their agent and/or insurance company issuing their policy.

For more information about homeowner’s insurance and hurricane preparedness tips, contact the Insurance Division at (808) 586-2790.

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EMERGENCY ELECTRICAL SAFETY TIPS

With Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio approaching Hawaii, the Hawaiian Electric Companies want to remind customers that electricity can be dangerous and electrical safety should never be taken for granted, especially during an emergency situation.

Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric, and Hawaii Electric Light urge customers to consider the following safety measures before, during and after a disaster or power outage:

Before a storm hits or if there is a power outage, unplug all unnecessary electric equipment and appliances until the storm has passed or until power is restored.

Stay away from downed power lines. Assume they are energized and dangerous. If you see someone injured after touching a downed power line, call 9-1-1 for help.

Should you need to evacuate, take emergency supplies and remember to shut off electricity at the main breaker or switch.

Make plans in advance to go to a safe location where electricity will be available if someone in your home depends on an electrically powered life support system and you don’t have a backup generator. Some shelters are designed for people with health needs — just remember to take your own medical equipment and medications.

When using a portable generator, carefully read and follow instructions in the manufacturer’s manual. Do not plug the generator into your household electrical outlets.

If you have a rooftop photovoltaic system, consult with your licensed solar contractor regarding normal and emergency operation procedures for your solar system. As a safety precaution, most photovoltaic systems are designed to safely shut down during outages. PV systems typically have monitoring systems which allow owners to check on the status of their system.

If you become trapped in an elevator during a power outage, relax and stay calm until help arrives. Use elevator emergency communication systems to report where you are and who is with you. Do not try to force open elevator doors. Never try to exit a stalled elevator car. Always wait for trained and qualified emergency personnel.

Hawaiian Electric’s free “Information Handbook for Emergency Preparedness” includes these tips and more. It can be downloaded at http://emergencypreparedness.hawaiianelectric.com

The handbook includes key numbers to have on hand, checklists for emergency supplies (such as a home survival kit and first aid kit), electrical safety information, power outage preparedness and recovery information, and household and food safety tips. It also provides references and links to related resources, such as the American Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and civil defense agencies.