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HB357
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
357
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to hurricane shelters
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION
1
.
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The legislature finds that, with warmer seas caused by climate change,
the spawning area for hurricanes near Mexico has moved north, and now,
hurricanes that used to pass a few hundred miles below Hawaii are headed right
at the State.
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Warmer seas means stronger
hurricanes, and categories three, four, and five hurricanes are increasing in
number and strength.
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Super category five
hurricanes, with wind speeds of up to two hundred miles per hour, have been
occurring every eight years.
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By 2080, a
super category five hurricane
is expected
to occur at least once a year
, with the northern Pacific, which includes
Hawaii,
anticipated
to have the
most.
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The
legislature further finds that the State used to be protected by cooler
surrounding seas and by trade winds at a lower level, with strong winds in the
opposite direction at a higher level that could tear approaching hurricanes
apart.
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As those seas have now warmed and
having lost two days of trade winds each year for fifty years, the State now
has protection from hurricanes for only half of the days of the year.
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The
legislature
also
finds that Hawaii
cannot call its places of refuge "hurricane shelters" because many of
the shelters do not meet the criteria of legitimate hurricane shelters, and few
refuge areas in the State are able to withstand even a category two hurricane.
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In addition, there are only a few refuge
areas in the State, with a capacity to hold up to one hundred thousand people;
however the Honolulu department of emergency management expects that during a
hurricane, the expectation is that two hundred thousand people will need to
seek shelter.
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In
addition, as there are numerous wooden homes in Hawaii, most of these homes
will be damaged or destroyed even in a category one hurricane.
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Very few shelters can withstand a category
three, four, or five hurricane, and if a hurricane strikes the State, there
will be no other place for people to go.
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The
legislature believes that it has a deep moral obligation to the people of the
State and to future generations living in Hawaii to immediately begin to build
every home and every building to withstand future hurricanes.
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Accordingly the purpose of this Act is to fund the
strengthening of existing hurricane shelters and development of new hurricane
shelters.
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SECTION
2
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There
is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of
$
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same
sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027
for the office of the governor, in collaboration with
the insurance division of the department of commerce and consumer affairs and
Hawaii emergency management agency, to
strengthen
existing hurricane shelters and develop new hurricane shelters to withstand category
five hurricanes
.
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The sums
appropriated shall be expended by the
office of the governor
for the purposes of this
Act.
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SECTION
3
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This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Governor; DCCA; HIEMA; Hurricane Shelters; Strengthening;
Development
Description:
Appropriates funds for the Office of the Governor, in
collaboration with the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and
Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to strengthen existing
hurricane shelters and develop new hurricane shelters to withstand category
five hurricanes.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.