Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are text messages sent by state, local, or national agencies to mobile phones with warnings about severe weather, threats to safety, and Amber alerts. There were ten WEA alerts sent by the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) on August 8, 2023.1 Only two of these went to Lahaina neighborhoods, however. 2 […
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How People React in an Emergency
“Had we sounded the siren that night, we were afraid that people would have gone mauka, and if that is the case, then they would have gone into the fire,” Andaya said. However, research shows that the public gets anxious when they don't receive accurate and critical information from authorities.
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Lahaina Fires: Why Looking Back Matters
On August 8, 2023, Hurricane Dora, a Category 4 storm, swept through the middle Pacific 800 miles southwest of Honolulu. (Calfas, 2023) The storm did not bring much rain, but 60-mile-per-hour winds hit the Hawaiian Islands, knocking down powerlines and trees and igniting wildfires across three islands. (Hawaii Fire, 2023) By the end of the day, [&h
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The Simple Website Posts That Can Save Lives
When we see an evacuation notice on our phones or are told by emergency responders to evacuate, we seek confirmation from other credible sources like friends, family, and social media before we act.
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Lahaina Fires Communications Timeline
This timeline chronologically compiles the communications from the County of Maui and Maui Emergency Management Agency along with key activities happening on Aug. 8, 2023.
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