Tropical Storm Olivia Spurs Hawaii Wing Preparations

Photo By Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman | Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force. In this role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 aircraft, performs about 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. CAP’s 60,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. In addition, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace/STEM education, and its members serve as mentors to over 25,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. (U.S. Air Force Auxiliary photo by Lt. Col. Crystal Housman)  

HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

09.10.2018

Story by Capt. Jennifer Herrington 

Civil Air Patrol (U.S. Air Force Auxiliary)

by Capt. (CAP) Jennifer Herrington
Hawaii Wing, Civil Air Patrol

HONOLULU – As Tropical Storm Olivia inched closer to the islands of Maui and Hawaii, Civil Air Patrol’s Hawaii Wing launched aircrews Sept. 10, 2018, to warn the public that a tropical storm warning is in effect on those islands.

Although Olivia was downgraded from a hurricane to tropical storm status Monday afternoon, Hawaii residents are being urged to prepare for the storm’s arrival. The wing has encouraged its members to prepare their families, secure their property, check on their neighbors' needs and plan to evacuate or shelter in place.

Planning for Olivia began Friday, with the Hawaii Wing collaborating with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Preparations continued while the wing's annual conference was held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Civil Air Patrol Col. Chantal Lonergan, wing commander, and 2nd Lt. Kamalama Kaikuana, assistant director of communications, attended Emergency Management Agency briefings on Sunday, and Kaikuana attended additional briefings Monday.

From the Big Island of Hawaii, Lt. Col. Dana McLaughlin, incident commander, coordinated planning for mission requests from both the state agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"For storms like this, preparedness is always important. We are working closely with both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and HIEMA today to make sure that everyone is prepared before the storm hits," McLaughlin said in an email to Hawaii Wing staff.

In addition to the pre-landfall flights launched Monday, damage assessment flights are anticipated after the storm’s passage.

• Date Taken: 09.10.2018
• Date Posted: 09.11.2018 15:39
• Story ID: 292273
• Location: HONOLULU, HAWAII, US