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EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION RELATING TO THE FEBRUARY 2026 SEVERE 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, on February 8, 2026, the National Weather Service had most recently issued a Flood Watch at approximately 3:18 A.M. and a High Wind Warning at approximately 5:34 A.M. for the entire State of Hawaiʻi, and a Winter Storm Warning at approximately 3:27 A.M. for the Big Island summits above 11,000 feet, all in effect through February 9, 2026; and

WHEREAS, the forecasted impacts to the County during this period and possibly extending into February 10, 2026, include heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flash floods, damaging winds from the Northeast to be at least 40 miles per hour with gusts over 60 miles per hour, and heavy snow accumulations from 10 to 16 inches on the Big Island summits; and

WHEREAS, the forecasted impacts may cause flooding of roads, streams, and low-lying areas resulting in debris, landslides, and closures; strong winds may cause flying debris, downed trees, downed power lines, damaged roofs, 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

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 February 8, 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 in 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:

I.    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).

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

B.    HRS § 127A-12(c)(6).

The provisions in HRS Chapter 103D and HRS §§ 103-50, 103-53, 103-55, 105-1 to 105-10, and 464-4 shall not apply to any emergency management functions to the extent that compliance is impracticable due to existing conditions.

C.    HRS § 127A-12(c)(11).

Each public utility or critical infrastructure operator is required to protect and safeguard property and resources as prescribed.

D.    HRS § 127A-12(c)(14), CCH § 13-21, and HCC § 7-1-5(a).

All County agencies and officers shall cooperate and extend services as necessary.

E.    Administration of disaster and emergency fund.

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

I FURTHER DECLARE, that this Emergency Proclamation shall terminate automatically sixty (60) days after its issuance unless extended or terminated by a separate proclamation.