Help Kauai Community Health Alliance (KCHA) fund a task force in order to:
- Evaluate if our community is Tsunami-Ready from a medical healthcare perspective
- Integrate with other organizations and teams to provide critically needed services
- Provide Tsunami-Ready solutions and create needed initiatives as they arise
Goals
Schools, playgrounds, medical services, and homes are built in areas on Kauai that are vulnerable to tsunamis. KCHA intends to implement a Tsunami-Ready initiative that will be designed to help our vulnerable communities.
KCHA Believes We Need To:
- Reduce the potential for disastrous tsunami-related consequences.
- Help community leaders and emergency managers strengthen their local operations through integrating with the medical community.
- Better prepare to save lives through improved planning, education and integration of services.
- Have fewer fatalities and minimize loss by doing everything possible in advance of such a potential tragedy.
About Tsunamis
Tsunamis are a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. A tsunami can move hundreds of miles per hour in the open ocean and smash into land with waves as high as 100 feet or more.
Areas are at greater risk if they are less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of the shoreline. That would affect most people on Kauai. Drowning is the most common cause of death associated with a tsunami. Tsunami waves and the receding water are very destructive to structures in the run-up zone. Other hazards include flooding, contamination of drinking water, and fires from gas lines or ruptured tanks.
Know the Terms
Advisory
An earthquake has occurred in the Pacific basin, which might generate a tsunami.
Watch
A tsunami was or may have been generated, but is at least two hours travel time to the area in Watch status.
Warning
A tsunami was, or may have been generated, which could cause damage; therefore, people in the warned area are strongly advised to evacuate.
A few Simple Things You Can Do To Be Prepared
- Emergency preparedness kits should contain the essentials your family needs to survive during a disaster:
- Because of contaminated ground water, fresh water is critical and should be stored away. Water stored for drinking purposes should be suffient to last three days for each family member. Consider having an equal amount of water handy on the side for sanitation purposes. Stored food and water should be cycled out every six months. An Emergency preparedness kit should also contain food, cleaning materials, flashlights, medicines, clothing, and blankets.
- Most importantly, know how to get to high ground from the ares you frequent most, ie the places you live, work, where your children go to school, your favorite beaches.
Fund a Need
Need |
Cost |
Phase One: Assessment and integration of services |
$20,000 |
Community Education |
$8,000 |
Total Cost |
$28,000 |
|
|
Help Kauai Community Health Alliance fund a Tsunami-Ready task force. Please contact Jim Winkler if you are interested in supporting this healthcare initiative by calling 808-828-2885, or emailing winkler@kauai-medical.org
Alternatively, donations can be made online right now. Thanks for contributing to your communities healthcare needs.