As Hawaiʻi enters another hurricane season that forecasters expect could be particularly active, many residents are stocking up on emergency supplies, reviewing evacuation plans, and paying closer attention
to weather forecasts.
Those are all important steps. But after witnessing our community’s response to the back-to-back Kona Low storms this spring, I believe one of the most important lessons about disaster preparedness has less to do with what we store in our homes and more to do with the relationships we build before disaster strikes.
When severe flooding hit Waialua, Mokulēʻia, and other parts of the North Shore, the first response did not come from a government agency. It came from neighbors. People checked on kūpuna. Farmers helped clear roads. Families shared information, supplies, and labor.
Community organizations opened distribution hubs. Volunteers coordinated assistance for residents who were isolated by floodwaters. Information moved through text messages, phone calls, and personal networks long before official systems were fully operational.
What became clear during those difficult weeks was that resilience is not simply about infrastructure. It
is about relationships. In many ways, the Waialua response reflected something deeply rooted in Hawaiʻi’s history: the understanding that our well-being is connected to the well-being of the people around us.
As we prepare for hurricane season, I think there is an opportunity to strengthen what we might call a modern practice of neighborism—a deliberate effort to build the kinds of neighborhood relationships that make communities more resilient during emergencies. Neighborism starts with knowing who lives around you.
Do you know which households have kūpuna living alone? Which families have young children? Which neighbors rely on medical equipment that requires electricity? Which residents might have difficulty evacuating without assistance?
Just as important, do you know the strengths that exist within your neighborhood? Who has medical training? Who owns equipment that could help clear debris? Who has experience with emergency communications? Who knows local streams, drainage systems, and evacuation routes? Who can help translate information for neighbors who speak other languages?
During the Kona Low floods, these local forms of knowledge often proved just as valuable as formal emergency plans. One lesson that emerged from our community response efforts was the value of neighborhood communication networks. In Upper Wahiawā, residents have begun organizing micro-neighborhood phone trees in which small groups of households commit to checking on one another during emergencies. The concept is simple: if communications become limited or power is disrupted, information can still move from family to family through trusted local contacts.
Every neighborhood in Hawaiʻi could benefit from developing something similar. A phone tree requires no special equipment. Neighbors simply exchange contact information and establish a plan for checking on one another before, during, and after a major weather event. Small groups of eight to twelve households can create a communication network that remains functional even when broader systems are strained.
The process of creating those networks often produces an additional benefit: people begin learning about one another’s needs and capabilities before a crisis occurs.
The reality is that climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events across the Pacific. Hurricanes, severe storms, flooding, and other climate related emergencies may become more common in the years ahead. While we must continue investing in flood control infrastructure, emergency management systems, and climate adaptation projects, we should also recognize that some of our most effective resilience strategies cost very little. They involve conversations, relationship-cultivation, and rebuilding the habit of looking out for one another.
The people of Waialua demonstrated this spring that strong communities do not wait passively for help. They organize, communicate, share resources, and respond collectively.
As hurricane season approaches, I encourage everyone to prepare emergency kits, secure important documents, and review evacuation plans. But I also encourage something equally important: knock on a neighbor’s door. Exchange phone numbers. Learn who might need help. Share what skills and resources you can offer.
Because if the Kona Low floods taught us anything, it is that our greatest source of resilience is not found in a warehouse or an emergency shelter. It is found in the relationships we build with one another long before the storm arrives.