S.C.R. No. 161 - Summary

• Urges the Governor and Director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to improve Hawaii's emergency preparedness and hazard mitigation measures in response to intensifying storm activity and hurricane risks.

• Requests application for Federal Emergency Management Agency's Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program to help prepare for future disasters.

• Directs the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Director to develop an Enhanced Mitigation Plan approved by FEMA, which would increase hazard mitigation grant funding from 15% to 20% of disaster assistance costs (currently Hawaii has only a Standard Mitigation Plan).

• Identifies school facility hardening as a priority, including upgrades to schools used as emergency shelters, staff training, evacuation drills, safety measures, and appropriate resources.

• Notes that Hawaii could receive hundreds of millions of dollars more in hazard mitigation grants following a major disaster if it had an Enhanced Mitigation Plan, similar to California, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.