Maui County is bringing the conversation about natural disaster preparedness to its residents, with a series of upcoming community meetings aimed at updating the 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan will serve as a blueprint to reduce the risks from natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires. The goal is to minimize the damage to the island's residents, infrastructure, and economy.
According to a recent update provided by Maui County, Mauian’s are invited to join both in-person and virtual meetings to give their input starting Feb. 27. This effort is spearheaded by the County's Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), which aims to collectively strategize on lessening the community's vulnerability to natural disasters. One of the first gatherings will be an in-person session held at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku, also available to be livestreamed on the County's Facebook page.
The County has scheduled virtual meet-ups for March 4 and April 16 via Microsoft Teams. These meetings will provide an overview of the planning process and explain how public input can be incorporated. Community feedback is important as the County works to integrate insights from the public, local departments, and stakeholders into a five-year mitigation strategy aimed at enhancing Maui's resilience to natural disasters.
Residents who wish to share their concerns or suggestions can participate in a series of surveys that are being distributed, county officials encourage participation. The Public Survey is open to all Maui County residents, while specific Stakeholder and Business Surveys are intended for agencies, organizations, and local businesses. These surveys aim to collect information that will be used to set priorities for the hazard mitigation strategy.
For more detailed information about the meetings and surveys, or to learn more about the hazard mitigation process, the County advises visiting the official Hazard Mitigation webpage linked in their announcement.
