EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION RELATING TO THE MARCH 2026 KONA LOW WEATHER EVENT

By the authority vested in me as the Mayor of the County of Hawaiʻi by the Constitution and laws of the State of Hawaiʻi, and by the Charter and ordinances of the County of Hawaiʻi, to prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters, I, C. KIMO ALAMEDA, Mayor of the County of Hawaiʻi, hereby proclaim as follows:

WHEREAS, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 127A, provides for the establishment of County of Hawaiʻi (County) organizations for emergency management with the Mayor having direct responsibility and authority over emergency management within the County; and

WHEREAS, HRS Chapter 127A, and Hawai‘i County Code (HCC) Chapter 7, establish a Civil Defense Agency within the County and prescribes its powers, duties, and responsibilities; and

WHEREAS, HRS § 127A-14(b) empowers the Mayor to declare the existence of a local state of emergency in the County by proclamation if the Mayor finds that an emergency or a disaster has occurred or that there is imminent danger or threat of an emergency or a disaster in any portion of the County, as those terms are defined in HRS § 127A-2; and

WHEREAS, the Charter of the County of Hawaiʻi (CCH) § 13-23 and HCC § 7-1-6(a) also empower the Mayor to declare a state of disaster or emergency by proclamation; and

WHEREAS, as of 4:00 P.M. on March 12, 2026, the National Weather Service had forecasted a Kona low pressure weather system affecting the State of Hawaiʻi and issued the following for the County of Hawaiʻi: a flood watch, a high wind watch for lower elevations (Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph), and a high wind warning (Southwest winds 55 to 75 mph with gusts up to 110 mph) and a winter storm warning (total snow accumulation of 12 to 18 inches and wind gusts up to 110 mph) for the summits; and

WHEREAS, Governor Josh Green, M.D., issued an emergency proclamation and a second emergency proclamation relating to the Kona low weather event and affecting the entire State on March 9, 2026; and

WHEREAS, the forecasted impacts to the County for this period and possibly extending through March 17, 2026, include heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flash flooding, and strong damaging winds. Blizzard conditions, including heavy snow and strong winds, are also forecasted for the summits; and

WHEREAS, the forecasted impacts may cause flooding of roads, streams, drainages, and low-lying areas resulting in debris, landslides, and closures; strong winds may cause flying debris, downed trees, downed power lines, and power or communication outages; hazardous travel conditions; all of which may result or likely result in dangerous conditions to the lives, property, and environment of the County and may extend beyond the actual impacts; and

WHEREAS, it is critical that the County has sufficient resources and can expeditiously and effectively prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from the forecasted severe weather event, and protect the lives, property, environment, public health, welfare, and safety of the County, its residents, and visitors;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, C. KIMO ALAMEDA, Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i, hereby declare, effective March 12, 2026, that a local state of emergency exists under HRS § 127A-14(b), CCH § 13-23, and HCC § 7-1-6(a), because the forecasted severe weather event poses an imminent danger or threat of an emergency or disaster to the County of Hawaiʻi; and

I FURTHER DECLARE, that based on the conditions described above, the following measures are reasonably necessary to address the emergency or disaster:

Invocation of Laws. Pursuant to HRS § 127A-12(c)(17), the Mayor may take any and all steps necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of HRS Chapter 127A, including the additional powers in HRS § 127A-13(b) which may only be exercised during an emergency period. I hereby authorize and invoke the following powers related to emergency management, if not already in effect:

A. HRS §§ 127A-12(a)(5), 127A-13(b)(3), 127A-13(b)(4), and HCC §§ 7-1-6(d)(2) and 7-1-6(d)(4). I authorize and direct the Administrator of the County of Hawai’i Civil Defense Agency, or their designee, to take appropriate actions to direct or control the following, as may be necessary for emergency management:

• Alerts, warnings, notifications, activations;
• Warnings and signals for alerts, and any type of warning device, system, or method to be used in connection therewith;
• Partial or full mobilization of personnel, in advance of, or in response to, an actual emergency or disaster;
• The conduct of civilians and the movement and cessation of movement of pedestrians and vehicular traffic during, before, and after alerts, emergencies, or disasters;
• Shut off water mains, gas mains, or electric power connections, or suspend other services;
• The mandatory evacuation of the civilian population; and

B. HRS § 127A-12(c)(11). Each public utility, or any person owning, controlling, or operating a critical infrastructure facility, is hereby required to protect and safeguard the public utility’s or the person’s property, or to provide for such protection and safeguarding; and provide for the protection and safeguarding of all critical infrastructure and key resources; provided that the protection and safeguarding may include the regulation or prohibition of public entry thereon, or the permission of the entry upon terms and conditions as I may prescribe

C. HRS § 127A-12(c)(14), CCH § 13-21, and HCC § 7-1-5(a). I direct all County agencies and officers to cooperate with and extend their services, materials, and facilities as may be necessary to address the emergency or disaster.

D. I direct the Director of Finance to administer the disaster and emergency fund in accordance with CCH § 10-17.

I FURTHER DECLARE, that this Emergency Proclamation Relating to the March 2026 Kona Low Weather Event shall terminate automatically sixty (60) days after its issuance, unless extended or terminated by a separate or supplementary proclamation, in accordance with HRS §§ 127A-14(c) and (d).