AARP Hawai`i Supporting Disaster Preparation, Resilience in Communities

On the cusp of hurricane season, AARP Hawai`i is encouraging residents, especially kupuna and caregivers, to have an emergency plan and assisting Manoa to become disaster resilient by providing walkie talkies to Manoa residents willing to be part of an emergency communications network.

Be Ready Manoa, a group that promotes disaster resilience in Manoa, will give out walkie talkies to Manoa residents who are willing to be part of a communications network if phone service is lost during a disaster at a training meeting on April 24^th at 9:30 a.m. at the Hale Kokua o Manoa Adventist Community Center, 2655 Manoa Road. Participants will learn about Be Ready Manoa’s efforts to prepare as a community for disasters and about what they are calling the Kupuna Coconut Wireless Community. They will also provide training on how to use the walkie talkies and what to do in an emergency.

“Kupuna are the most likely to die or be seriously injured in natural disasters of all types. That’s why it’s vital that neighborhoods, apartment buildings and communities like Manoa be prepared as a community to help each other during and after a disaster,” said Keali`i Lopez, AARP Hawai`i State Director. “We encourage everyone to have a personal emergency plan and emergency kit with supplies for at least two weeks. We also encourage people to talk to their neighbors and leaders to prepare in advance as a community to survive a disaster.”

In addition to promoting community disaster resilience, AARP Hawai`i is holding virtual and in-person workshops in May to help with personal disaster preparation. To learn more and register for the Be Ready Manoa disaster training and other training sessions go to aarp.org/local or the AARP Hawai`i Facebook page and click on the events tab.

Upcoming workshops include a May 7^th webinar at 10 a.m. on Preparing Your Home to Survive a Hurricane presented by the University of Hawai`i Sea Grant College. The workshop will teach simple things anyone can do to be better prepared for insurance claims and other post-disaster situations. A webinar on May 15 at 10 a.m. will focus on Tech Tips for Disaster Preparedness. Senior Planet, an AARP-affiliated charity, will teach participants about the FEMA and Red Cross disaster preparedness apps and features in smart phones that can help in a disaster.

On May 19 at 1 p.m. at the Pearl City Library, speakers will share information on Preparing for a Hurricane. The in-person workshop will teach you how to prepare a personal disaster plan. You’ll also get tips on preparing your home to survive a hurricane. AARP Hawai`i will also have information on disaster preparedness at the Senior Health and Safety Fair on May 3^rd at the Hawaii Okinawa Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In addition to workshops, AARP worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare a booklet for community leaders on disaster resilience. The Disaster Resilience Toolkit is available online at https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/tool-kits-resources/info-2022/aarp-disaster-resilience-tool-kit.html.