Hawaii Convention Center among 13 sites designated on Oahu as a shelter
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - As Hurricane Douglas approaches Hawaii, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said that there will be 13 emergency shelter locations on Oahu.
Caldwell said that because the city was able to secure the Hawaii Convention Center as a shelter site, fewer location will be needed. On Friday, he initially said as many as 25 emergency shelters might be needed due to social distancing requirements.
“(The Convention Center) opened up a lot more opportunities. As you know, these other sheltering places can only accommodate only so many people when you are six feet a part. We had a lot more space at the convention center,” he said.
Besides the Convention Center, the shelters include:
- Niu Valley Middle School in town;
- Mililani, Moanalua and Waialua high schools in central Oahu;
- Campbell High School, Leihoku Elementary, Nanakuli High and Intermediate School and Pearl City High School on the leeward side.
- Castle and Kalaheo high schools, King Intermediate and Pope Elementary School on the windward side.
“No matter what shelter you go to you have to enter with your face coverings and you must wear your face coverings at all times unless you’re eating drinking or sleeping,” said Caldwell.
North Shore residents will need to travel if they’re seeking a city shelter: Waialua High is the only shelter serving the North Shore, where impacts could be the most severe.
Along with preparing emergency shelters, city crews this morning were out clearing debris from the mouth of the Niu Valley Stream, a site which has seen frequent flooding.
Elsewhere on Oahu, businesses reinforces their storefronts and entryways in preparation for the hurricane. Motorists also formed long lines at the Costco gasoline station in Iwilei to get ready for the storm.
Meanwhile, the state Harbors Division and the U.S. Coast Guard were ordering fishing vessels and other ships out to the open ocean and out of the path of main thrust of the hurricane.
“Currently, we have restricted all vessel movement in Hawaii County, and plan to follow suit in Maui and Honolulu tonight,” said Coast Guard Capt. Arex Arrani.
“Our main goal is to keep our ports safe and clear so we can reopen commerce and commercial traffic as soon as possible.”
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