Hawaii wildfire lesson: You are on your own

[Certaindeaf]

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Hawaii are Asian (Non-Hispanic) (36.8%), White (Non-Hispanic) (21.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (19.2%), Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander (Non-Hispanic) (9.65%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (5.12%).
Data from

Hawaii | Data USA

In 2021, Hawaii had a population of 1.45M people with a median age of 39.6 and a median household income of $88,005. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Hawaii grew from 1.42M to 1.45M, a 2.35% increase and its median household income grew from $83,173 to $88,005, a 5.81% increase.

datausa.io

That's a lotta folderol for hispanic hispanic. nuts

 

[Certaindeaf]

The locals are some of the most racist people I've run into, and not just against the bubblegumming haole. But virtually everybody over there consider themselves native Hawaiian, kind of like everybody wants to have native American blood.

Me too. I lived on Oahu as a kid, still have family there and other islands. Kill Haole day is the last day of every school year.

 

[rhollister71]

That's a lotta folderol for hispanic hispanic. nuts

evidently they really want to track the Hispanic Populus and are very specific on which. LOL

 

[Tlock]

The locals are some of the most racist people I've run into, and not just against the bubblegumming haole. But virtually everybody over there consider themselves native Hawaiian, kind of like everybody wants to have native American blood.

They welcomed me with open arms last time I was in Maui......well maybe cause I look like them lol

 

[Nosferatu]

I kind of want to give it back to them. Fewer electoral college points and they'd never make it on their own.

I'm all for it, but the shipyard is way too valuable to the warmongers in DC to give up.

I've only been there once, but I can't stand the tourist traps and the "natives" are racist bubblegums.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I'm all for it, but the shipyard is way too valuable to the warmongers in DC to give up.

I've only been there once, but I can't stand the tourist traps and the "natives" are racist bubblegums.

Pearl Harbor Shipyard? It's also the largest industrial employer there.

 

[2506]

The same way its always done, hire more lawyers. Insurance Companies are just another business. Like all of them they are there for one reason, to make money. Unlike the gov. they can't print money. For all the money an insurance Co. pays out it has to make it back in fee's. Many love to hate on insurance but then want magic money to fall from the sky. Only way that happens is if you want to get rid of insurance Companies and have government take over and provide insurance. Many have tried that and the results are just as anyone knew they would be, a mess. Yet people will ask for it again.

People need to understand that insurance isn't an investment and need to stop expecting a return.

 

[Tlock]

People need to understand that insurance isn't an investment and need to stop expecting a return.

It's just Protection.....I got treated really well by farmers ins in the 2020 wildfires. I was impressed by them actually

 

[Nosferatu]

Pearl Harbor Shipyard? It's also the largest industrial employer there.

Yep

 

[Alexx1401]

People need to understand that insurance isn't an investment and need to stop expecting a return.

YEP! Sadly too many see it just that way. Its why I hate to see fraud in it as we all pay for that. Up here now voters decided people can drive high, with no license, and no insurance. So of course our rates keep going up for those of us who pay for it. An amazing number of the people who vote for this see no connection between what they vote for and the cost of keeping insurance.

 

[PiratePast40]

Blackrock will buy it all up for pennies on the dollar.

Majority of buyers will be from China. With 10% to the big guy of course.

 

[PNW Partisan]

Most homeowners are under insured for disasters or don't understand their policy well. Rebuild costs are a lot more than the years back when many home owners get their original insurance policy. In certain circumstances, FEMA Individual Assistance grants (if you hit the damage amounts) can add another $40k to individual homeowners but usually that still isn't enough.

Insurance companies are generally hit and miss, but you'd be surprised how well some have dealt with the wildfires in the West (for now).

The truth is, yes, community members are mainly on their own during the first 72 hours of rapid unfolding emergencies. Whatever gov structures are in place are also in a state of shock without comms or normal coordination capabilities. They also shift to focus on restoring the Community Lifelines. What many local governments find out is they are grossly unprepared for ongoing catastrophic emergency response. Areas that have been hit, if they rebuild, will then build more robust and resilient systems to prevent repeat disasters. Unfortunately, normalcy bias is a real thing and people often think "it won't happen to me" or "it won't happen here" despite the evidence, science, or previous close calls.

The nation's first responder pool is in the dump. Tons of retirements with Covid and not enough succession planning. Even where planning was good, first responder work is difficult, doesn't pay well, and benefits are not like they used to be. This has led to a massive deficient in first responders everywhere. As for the communications systems, so many issues there. Degrading infrastructure and also privately owned/leased cell towers also add in issues with backup power capabilities. Stacking of tolerances and issues leads to some serious life safety related issues that we are watching unfold in Maui, but can be seen in many other emergencies around the country. The less you rely on the government the better. They have to look out for many critical systems, which means a massive spreading of resources. It's sad…. But it's true. I highly encourage getting involved in legislation, funding, volunteering, self reliance, etc to boost local community capabilities.

 

[clanhanson]

BUT, But, but... didn't the pres issue an emergency declaration promising immediate and extended aid/resources within a day of the disaster? And aren't there ~250 FEMA personnel on the island?

Is that you, Jr.?

 

[arakboss]

Why you can't trust anybody when SHTF.

Exhibit A:

Desperate residents are looting businesses and robbing people at gunpoint, Maui locals say

Survivors in Lahaina resort to armed robbery for necessities after Maui wildfires, citing lack of effective support and government uncertainty in handling the crisis.

www.foxnews.com

 

[bolus]

This is yet another reason to be frequenting the "What have you done to prep today?" thread. We can finger point all day long but in the end we must remember this.

Nature bats last.

Reports the power was out all day. So no, notifications are not going to happen. When it really hits the fan we must all know emergency services are beyond thin. Sure, things like effective coordination of emergency services like in a forest fire can help, but in other situations, especially if comms are down, good luck. In many areas with all hands on deck, you still end up with one EMS staff (fire, police) per few hundred to over 1,000 people, likely worse.

Prayers to these folks as many clearly did not know what hit them until it was too late.

Emergency sirens have battery power (supposedly) but given how terrible the emergency response was I doubt the tsunami alerts are even water resistant.

Japan has loudspeakers on their emergency alert system (invented in the 1800's) one or two tsunami sirens followed by loudspeaker alert would have saved a lot of people.

I doubt any real blame will come out of this.

• reporting the fire 100% contained before the town was destroyed
• keeping the power on with down power lines
• video of a metal roof blown off before the fire hanging off a power line pole. Someone was there to put red cones around the pole but the power was still one.
• water lines all destroyed by the fire (WTF??) so no one had water during the fire
• Battery powered alarm system not activated. Phone and internet all down.
• Emergency twitter not even announcing evacuations until the next morning.
• Chief of police blaming residents for not having 2 weeks of tsunami supplies
• zero search and rescue. Yesterday there was only 3% of the remaining town searched
• Leadership not wanting to answer tough questions from the outside press because of "people needing to grieve" when there were still elderly people trapped in homes that did not burn without water.
• The entirety of the Pacific fleet 89 miles away but only 100 national guard sent to divert traffic

The state are just sandbags with food holes collecting paychecks to hold chairs in place.

The good though is they are actually closing some shelters because so many residents opened their homes to the Lahaina residents that they did not need all the shelters. The capital got so many donations that they needed volunteers to sort it all. Probably the only good use of a capital building in history.

The majority of the people here are good people who are going above and beyond to help those in need.

 

[DunRanull]

The best part is the people who just got to see first hand how the people they voted for failed they will vote the same people back to "fix this". Then wonder why nothing gets better

Striking the nail directly on the head!...

 

[DunRanull]

View attachment 1470123

Long pig?

 

[DunRanull]

This is in part what to expect if SHTF here. God help people living in large cities.

Local residents in Hawaii's Maui are claiming they are being looted and robbed at gunpoint after catastrophic fires ravaged parts of the island.

The wildfires in Maui have become the deadliest in modern US history and have so far led to the deaths of 96 people, apart from widespread devastation of property.

And now locals have said they are growing increasingly desperate for effective local leadership to step up and take control of the emergency response amid accusations of an increase in crime.

They are annoyed that the leadership has been lax and not really stepping up, leaving residents to rise to the occasion and take reigns into their own hands.

As rescue teams traverse the island, delivering essential supplies such as water, food and first aid, reports said locals are now taking matters in their own hands to address the situation.

"There's some police presence. There's some small military presence, but at night people are being robbed at gunpoint," Matt Robb, co-owner of a Lahaina bar called The Dirty Monkey was quoted as saying by Business Insider.

I think that most of us here know how we would likely react (if possible) in a WROL situation. "Citizen's Committee For Vigilance And Order"- type of thing. IF possible, I say, under whatever the circumstance...

 

[DunRanull]

Exactly. Hawaii is more than 2000 miles from anything with any real resources. Everything comes in on an airplane or a barge. I'm not entirely sure why the police weren't communicating with radios, but they should have been aware of where the fire was spreading. That said, before I pile onto the blue lights too much, they did have 50MPH+ winds.

I'd hate to be (caught dead may be the term I'm looking for) trapped in a place like that- can't even take to "The Road" in a serious collapse.. Not that I could walk very far anyway. Hunker down and shoot the next mofo who tells me I got to do thus or so.. hmmm

 

[arakboss]

Long pig?

That's how it ended up.