06-06-2007, 03:02 PM
Also heard that Hilo only has an 18 day reserve! Wow, I thought that was a bit odd but oh well.... I kinda wonder what will really happen if the state went into a 20-30 day drought?
Tinder-dry forests, farmers out of water and empty water catchments have sparked a drought emergency proclamation for the Big Island.
Mayor Harry Kim declared the state of emergency Tuesday, saying fire danger levels have jumped from moderate to extreme in many areas, and that danger of runaway brush fires has become a major concern.
"We have a very volatile situation out there," Kim said.
With a large number of homes on rainwater catchment, water haulers can't keep up with the demand and are urging customers to make their reservations well ahead of time.
"You can imagine the predicament of having to wait sometimes 10 days to get water," Kim said.
The proclamation bans outdoor fires, except rigidly controlled blazes in approved waste burners, fires that have an approved burn plan, and fires for cooking food and heating bath water.
"We're seeing much drier conditions early on in the summer and there doesn't appear to be much relief in sight," said Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira. "We recommended a burn ban in association with the proclamation. We haven't seen a dramatic increase in fires, but it's early in the summer and we'll be seeing more camping, beach activity and barbecuing.
"We want to be proactive in prohibiting certain burning and ask for the public to be aware of the hazards."
Farm bureaus have been reporting many calls from farmers with trouble getting fresh grass and water to their stock, Kim said. The National Weather Service is forecasting more dry days ahead for the Big Island, and a mandatory 25-percent water restriction notice is in effect for the districts of South Kohala and Hamakua, from Kawaihae to Waimea, upper Paauilo and Ahualoa. Conservation notices are also in effect for North Kohala and Ka'u.
Though he's heard people talking about East Hawaii's unusually sunny weather over the past few days, Kim is mindful of the hardships that can result when the rain lets up for too long.
"It is a nice day -- if you're not on a catchment, if you're not a farmer, if you're not a rancher," Kim said.
The emergency proclamation is a necessary step to getting any state or federal assistance for drought relief, or federal reimbursement if the Big Island has to contend with runaway brush fires this summer.
Emergency responders will meet today at the Civil Defense Emergency Operations Center to review emergency plans and roles. Responders will be looking at ways to pre-position firefighting equipment where it is most likely to be needed. They will also consider having manpower on standby so workers can respond quickly in the event of wildfire.
Rain levels for March, April and May have been a fraction of normal levels. Over half of the Big Island rain gauges measured less than 30 percent of normal in May. Honokaa received 5 percent of normal, Hilo airport was 29 percent, Pahoa registered 26 percent of normal level and sites in Pohakuloa were 3 to 5 percent of normal.
Tinder-dry forests, farmers out of water and empty water catchments have sparked a drought emergency proclamation for the Big Island.
Mayor Harry Kim declared the state of emergency Tuesday, saying fire danger levels have jumped from moderate to extreme in many areas, and that danger of runaway brush fires has become a major concern.
"We have a very volatile situation out there," Kim said.
With a large number of homes on rainwater catchment, water haulers can't keep up with the demand and are urging customers to make their reservations well ahead of time.
"You can imagine the predicament of having to wait sometimes 10 days to get water," Kim said.
The proclamation bans outdoor fires, except rigidly controlled blazes in approved waste burners, fires that have an approved burn plan, and fires for cooking food and heating bath water.
"We're seeing much drier conditions early on in the summer and there doesn't appear to be much relief in sight," said Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira. "We recommended a burn ban in association with the proclamation. We haven't seen a dramatic increase in fires, but it's early in the summer and we'll be seeing more camping, beach activity and barbecuing.
"We want to be proactive in prohibiting certain burning and ask for the public to be aware of the hazards."
Farm bureaus have been reporting many calls from farmers with trouble getting fresh grass and water to their stock, Kim said. The National Weather Service is forecasting more dry days ahead for the Big Island, and a mandatory 25-percent water restriction notice is in effect for the districts of South Kohala and Hamakua, from Kawaihae to Waimea, upper Paauilo and Ahualoa. Conservation notices are also in effect for North Kohala and Ka'u.
Though he's heard people talking about East Hawaii's unusually sunny weather over the past few days, Kim is mindful of the hardships that can result when the rain lets up for too long.
"It is a nice day -- if you're not on a catchment, if you're not a farmer, if you're not a rancher," Kim said.
The emergency proclamation is a necessary step to getting any state or federal assistance for drought relief, or federal reimbursement if the Big Island has to contend with runaway brush fires this summer.
Emergency responders will meet today at the Civil Defense Emergency Operations Center to review emergency plans and roles. Responders will be looking at ways to pre-position firefighting equipment where it is most likely to be needed. They will also consider having manpower on standby so workers can respond quickly in the event of wildfire.
Rain levels for March, April and May have been a fraction of normal levels. Over half of the Big Island rain gauges measured less than 30 percent of normal in May. Honokaa received 5 percent of normal, Hilo airport was 29 percent, Pahoa registered 26 percent of normal level and sites in Pohakuloa were 3 to 5 percent of normal.
