Hawaiʻi Recovery After Hurricane Lowell
For current weather, safety, and recovery information, follow HIEMA, the National Weather Service in Honolulu, and county agencies first. Ready Together provides supplemental family-planning and youth-recovery tools and does not replace local instructions.
Important: Official Hawaiʻi Instructions Come First
Kids4Kids Relief is a youth-led Florida organization, not a Hawaiʻi emergency-management agency. Ready Together is a supplemental educational resource. For current Hawaiʻi instructions, follow HIEMA, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, the National Weather Service in Honolulu, county emergency management, local media, and official alerts. If anything in Ready Together conflicts with current Hawaiʻi guidance, follow Hawaiʻi officials.
• OFFICIAL HAWAI'I INFORMATION FIRST
Hawaiʻi Hurricane Preparedness: Official Updates + Free Family Planning Tools
As Hawaiʻi monitors Hurricane Lowell, families should follow state and county emergency officials for current forecasts, alerts, shelters, road conditions, and evacuation instructions.
Ready Together is a free supplemental family-planning resource created by youth leaders who experienced Hurricane Ian. It can help families organize communication, supplies, medications, pets, documents, and age-appropriate support for children and teens.
• OFFICIAL SOURCES
Start With Official Hawaiʻi Information
Conditions, watches, warnings, shelters, road closures, and outages can change quickly. Use these official sources before relying on any supplemental checklist.
OFFICIAL HAWAI'I RESOURCE
Hurricane Lowell Updates
Current statewide key messages, forecast links, shelter information, county contacts, and infrastructure updates from HIEMA.
OFFICIAL COUNTY ALERTS
Sign Up for Local Emergency Alerts
Hawaiʻi's four counties issue local emergency notifications by text, email, and official social channels.
OFFICIAL WEATHER RESOURCE
National Weather Service Honolulu
Local forecasts, radar, tropical weather, marine information, and forecast discussions for Hawaiʻi.
OFFICIAL STATE RESOURCE
Roads + Travel Conditions
Check Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation weather-related road and travel information.
OFFICIAL WARNINGS
Watches, Warnings + Advisories by Island
Check the current official watches, warnings, and advisories for your county or island.
OFFICIAL UTILITY RESOURCE
Power Outage Information
Use the official utility outage source for your island — Hawaiian Electric for Oʻahu, Maui County, and Hawaiʻi Island; KIUC for Kauaʻi.
Shelter openings and county instructions may change during each storm. Do not rely on a copied shelter list. Use the newest official county or HIEMA information.
• FIVE THINGS TO CHECK
“What Can Hawaiʻi Families Review During Recovery?”
Follow official alerts first, then use a calm family-planning process to organize communication, supplies, medications, pets, documents, and safe roles for children and teens.
1
Follow official alerts
Sign up for your county's emergency notifications and check HIEMA and NWS Honolulu for updates.
2
Review your family plan
Decide how you will communicate, where you may go if instructed, and who will contact relatives, schools, caregivers, or neighbors.
3
Organize essential needs
Review water, food, lighting, charging, medications, medical equipment, pet supplies, cash, and important documents.
4
Check local conditions
Monitor county instructions, road conditions, power information, shelters, and any evacuation or refuge-area guidance.
5
Include kids safely
Give children and teens simple, age-appropriate jobs while reminding them that adults and officials make the safety decisions.
Kids should feel included, not responsible.
• YOUTH MENTAL WELLNESS
Helping Kids Feel Included, Not Responsible
Children and teens often notice more than adults realize. Calm, honest information and a clear family plan can make uncertainty feel more manageable.
Give young people safe jobs—such as packing a comfort item, charging a device, writing down a contact, checking a flashlight, or choosing a quiet activity—but remind them that adults and emergency officials make the safety decisions.
Peer support can provide connection and encouragement, but it is not therapy. If a young person may be unsafe, overwhelmed, or in crisis, involve a trusted adult and qualified support immediately.
Crisis Support
Hawaiʻi CARES / 988 — for crisis support in Hawaiʻi, call or text 988.
Disaster Distress Helpline — call or text 1-800-985-5990 for disaster-related emotional distress support.
Safe Roles for Kids and Teens
Pack one comfort item
Write down an out-of-area contact
Charge a device or power bank
Check flashlights with an adult
Choose a quiet activity
Help place pet supplies together
Ask questions
Tell a trusted adult when they feel scared or confused
In an immediate life-threatening or medical emergency, call 911.
• FREE SUPPLEMENTAL TOOLS
Choose One Free Tool to Start
You do not have to read all 233 pages. Choose the worksheet that helps your family answer one question today.
SUPPLEMENTAL READY TOGETHER RESOURCE
Family Hurricane Plan
Decide where your family may go, how you will communicate, and who is responsible for medications, pets, documents, and essential supplies.
SUPPLEMENTAL READY TOGETHER RESOURCE
Family Communication Plan
Record an out-of-area contact, meeting locations, school information, phone-failure options, and wallet-size emergency contacts.
Hawaiʻi Household Supplies: Follow HIEMA’s Two-Week Guidance
Organize water, food, lighting, batteries, first aid, medications, cash, hygiene supplies, pet items, and comfort items.
Pet Planning Checklist
Plan for carriers, leashes, food, water, identification, medications, records, and local shelter or refuge-area rules.
Medication + Power-Outage Plan
List medications, refrigeration needs, medical equipment, backup power, pharmacy information, and professional instructions.
Important Documents Checklist
Organize identification, insurance, medication lists, emergency contacts, pet records, home inventory, and printed routes.
Youth Mental Wellness Quick Card
Help children understand the family plan, maintain routines, choose comfort items, identify trusted adults, and participate without carrying adult responsibilities.
Before, During + After Timeline
Use a simple timeline from early preparation through the storm and the first week of recovery.
• ABOUT THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCE
Ready Together Was Created by Students Who Experienced Hurricane Ian
Kids4Kids Relief began after Hurricane Ian, when its youth founders saw that disaster recovery affects more than homes and belongings. Kids can also lose routines, school time, comfort, connection, and a sense of normalcy.
Ready Together helps families prepare through clear plans, printable tools, official-resource reminders, and age-appropriate support for children and teens. It is a free 233-page digital workbook with 10 chapters and a 15-page Quick Reference Guide.
LOCAL-USE NOTE
The complete Ready Together workbook was created in Florida and includes some Florida-specific and mainland resource pages. Hawaiʻi families should use the universal planning worksheets while following current HIEMA and county guidance for local alerts, shelters, evacuation procedures, transportation, and official resources.
• LOCAL INFORMATION
Find Your County Emergency-Management Page
Hawaiʻi's counties issue local alerts and instructions. Choose your county and verify the newest information directly.
View All County Alert Signups
Shelters, refuge areas, roads, and local instructions can change. Always verify the current status through the county or HIEMA rather than relying on a copied list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this official Hawai'i emergency guidance?
No. Kids4Kids Relief is a youth-led Florida organization. This page places official Hawaiʻi sources first and offers Ready Together only as supplemental family-planning support.
Is the full Ready Together workbook Hawai'i specific?
No. The workbook was created in Florida and contains some Florida-specific and mainland resource pages. Hawaiʻi families should use the universal planning tools while following HIEMA and county guidance for local decisions.
Do I need to read all 233 pages?
No. Start with one worksheet, the 15-page Quick Reference Guide, or one checklist that answers your family's most immediate planning question.
What should I do if Ready Together conflicts with local instructions?
Follow current Hawaiʻi officials, emergency alerts, evacuation instructions, schools, healthcare professionals, and public-safety agencies.
Why is a Florida youth organization sharing resources with Hawai'i?
Kids4Kids Relief grew from the students' experiences after Hurricane Ian. The team is sharing universal family-planning tools while putting Hawaiʻi's local official information first and avoiding claims of local authority or endorsement.