Student-led Molokaʻi hazard mitigation team report

Support a professor-led and student-led project to produce a comprehensive interagency hazard mitigation team report for Molokaʻi island, documenting the short-term and long-term physical and mental health impacts of repeated disasters on residents and vulnerable communities. Without a formal seat of government, Molokaʻi island residents are underserved and often underrepresented; Maui County, with three islands and limited staff, has limited funding, bandwidth and capacity to document damages and impacts to Molokaiʻi and its vulnerable communities. The project is intended to teach students to create a technical document, guided by professors, professionals, and kupuna, as exposure, training, and entry into a disaster management professional field.

Context given: Molokaʻi has been severely impacted by five disasters this past year, permanently displacing kupuna and ohana from East Maui, including the Kapaakea Homestead community area. Cesspools were breached crossing properties and flowing into the ʻIcebox” ocean, causing continued displacement to kupuna families. Molokaʻi islandʻs recovery is limited to arrival of two container shipments per week during normal times, significantly adding to recovery time. These impacts have been compounded by the Lahaina Wildfire, 2023, and COVID pandemic, 2020+. The physical and mental impacts began with the most damaging Kona Low Storms 1 (March 10 - 16) and 2 (March 19 - 24, 2026 followed by the three Hurricanes. Lala (August 2026), and then Lowell and Nolo (September 2026). The initial storms produced continuous heavy rainfall, flooding, and elevated coastal conditions that saturated soils and watersheds and flooded out homes.

Partners named: the Maui County Planning Department, Office of Recovery, and Office of ʻOiwi will continue ongoing academic and professional relationships working with the University of Hawaiʻi Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (Dr. Karl Kim and students), as well as the North Carolina State University Coastal Resilience Center (Dr. Gavin Smith and students), and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Dr. Cassandra Davis and students). Many organizations have integrated programs with Molokaʻi. including UH Sea Grant College Program and UH Maui College. Students learning with local nonprofit organizations will also be engaged and supported.

Funds are sought for up-to-12 students and three professors for travel, Molokaʻi housing, and per diem for deployment of at least three weeks each, staggered, on Molokaʻi for interviews and documentation, plus report writing time, conducted post field work. Funds are sought to provide compensation and stipends for all kupuna involved.

Submitted by James Buika County of Maui Planning Department 808-270-6271.