Report: Kauai Backslides In At-Home Disaster Preparedness

A significant number of households have less emergency food and water supplies in the aftermath of the pandemic.

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A significant number of households have less emergency food and water supplies in the aftermath of the pandemic.

With hurricane season underway, a new state report reveals a regression in emergency preparedness on Kauai.

Over four days in June, state health regulators interviewed 180 Kauai residents about their emergency preparedness habits, finding that recent gains in natural disaster prep on the Garden Isle have been lost over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Only 13% of Kauai households are maintaining the recommended 14-day supply of food and water, according to the 2023 Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, or CASPER, report published on Tuesday.

Developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is the sixth CASPER survey conducted on Kauai since 2017.

Hurricane season began in Hawaii on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. Forecasters predict a near-normal season, with the possibility of five to nine hurricanes moving into the state.

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