
SWINE FLU NOTICE April 29, 2009Due to limited inventory from our vendors, we are limiting purchases of all N95 particulate masks (3M and Sperian/Wilson) to 1-box. We apologize for this restriction - all manufacturers have reserved their inventory for medical emergencies - thereby limiting our ability to restock our inventory.
Mahalo for your kokua, and please be safe.
Hurricane Season 2009
are you ready?
posted by webmaster | June 01, 2009
Hawaii's Hurricane Season, running from the beginning of June through the end of November, has arrived with little fanfare amidst the sweltering variable winds of early summer. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is predicting "...a near to below normal hurricane season in the Central Pacific Basin this year."
A typical hurricane season brings with it four to five major stroms, which includes tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes. Although rarely making direct landfall on the island chain, these storms do cause havoc when passing by - from high-speed siphoned winds through valleys to huge storm surges on our beaches and flash flooding in the mountains. Unlike coastal areas of the Mainland United States, residents of Hawaii have no place to evacuate to when a major tropical storm approaches. People on all islands should be more attentive to their personal safety and take extra precautions to prevent loss and damage.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) has made some changes for the 2009 season. More awareness time for warnings and watches, experimental color coded forecasts and some experimental changes to the categorization of storms.
All links to NOAA documentation.
Hurricane Checklists
Just click on a link to download the Adobe PDF file for your use. To read you must have the Adobe PDF Reader. Click the link for the free download.
- Emergency Preparedness List
This plan will outline meeting places, contacts and other key information that family members should know in the event of any sort of emergency. It is a good practice to go over it and update any changed information on a regular basis. - Hurricane Watch & Warning Sheet
Things you should go over regarding property safety during watches and warnings. Remember, the more debris there is flying around, the more likely power will go down! - Hurricane Evacuation Packing List
Each year, we post an updated packing list of recommended items should your area need to be evacuated.
Sources:
FEMA's Are You Ready? - An in-depth Guide to citizen Preparedness
http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/index.shtm
The Humane Society of the United States
Disaster Preparedness for Pets
http://www.hsus.org/hsys_field/hsus_disaster_center/resources/disaster_preparedness_for_pets.html
National Weather Service and Central Pacific Hurricane Center