HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	229
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

Requesting APPLICATION FOR, GRANTING OF, AND FISCAL SUPPORT FOR emergency relief AND EMERGENCY PREVENTION EFFORTS for the city and county of honolulu in the wake of the March 11, 2011, tsunami.

     WHEREAS, the Japanese earthquake on March 10, 2011, and the resulting tsunami on March 10th and 11th caused catastrophic damage to the country of Japan, resulting in widespread loss of life; and

     WHEREAS, according to United States Geological Survey records, the earthquake measuring 8.9 on the richter scale was the strongest in recorded history to hit Japan; and

     WHEREAS, many residents of Hawaii have been deeply affected by the disaster and especially by the tsunami generated by the earthquake; and

     WHEREAS, the tsunami caused significant damage within the City and County of Honolulu; and

     WHEREAS, one of the hardest hit areas on Oahu was the Keehi Lagoon, where at least twenty-five boats sank and two hundred boats were damaged when their floating docks broke loose, and Haleiwa also experienced significant damage; and

     WHEREAS, many businesses and homes will need to be rebuilt or restored as a result of the tsunami; and

     WHEREAS, immediate action and emergency relief are needed to restore general health and safety to the City and County of Honolulu and to limit economic hardship and job loss; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that the City and County of Honolulu is requested to apply for the maximum amount of federal relief funds available and to cover the requisite cost share for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's public assistance program and individual assistance program, as required by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster and Emergency Assistance Act; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State is hereby requested to assist the City and County of Honolulu to recover from the tsunami by maximizing available matching funds for federal reimbursements; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Hawaii assemble an intergovernmental task force to expedite relief for the City and County of Honolulu; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Congress is hereby urged to refrain from making any cuts to the critically important Tsunami Pacific Alert System; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City and County of Honolulu is requested to expedite building permits for home owners and business owners who suffered damage to their properties from the tsunami so that they may promptly rebuild their establishments and more quickly recover from the destruction; and 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, United States Congressional Delegation for Hawaii, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, and Director of the Hawaii office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Tsunami; Emergency Relief; City and County of Honolulu