A bill that would create a test program to retrofit four school buildings in the state to withstand a Category 3 hurricane has passed the state House of Representatives and will have a public hearing next week.
House Bill 2196 would establish a pilot program to retrofit one unspecified Department of Education building in each of the state’s four major counties to be disaster shelters in the event of a major hurricane.
The House voted to pass the bill earlier this month, transferring it to the state Senate.
The bill coincides with a pair of other disaster preparedness bills that also passed the House: HB 2452, which would require all future state buildings to be able to withstand Category 3 storms, and HB 2582, which would establish a task force to revise the state’s Hawaii Disaster Preparedness Plan.
HB 2196 originally selected five specific school buildings to retrofit, all on Oahu.
Two House committees — the Committee on Veterans, Military and International Affairs and the Committee on Public Safety — amended the bill to instead target one school in each of the four major counties, as well as reducing the level of hurricane preparedness required to Category 3, rather than Category 4 as originally written.
The latter change was made after a public testimony hearing in early February, when the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency warned that retrofitting existing buildings to withstand a Category 4 hurricane likely would be cost prohibitive. Category 4 hurricanes can bring sustained winds from 131 to 155 mph, compared to the 111- to 130-mph winds associated with Category 3 storms.
“Government in general is often criticized for being reactive instead of proactive,” said Rep. Chris Todd, D-Hilo, who co-sponsored the bill. “With this, we can try to get something in place so it’s there when we need it.”
Todd said determining which schools would be retrofitted would be the responsibility of the Department of Education, based on building capacity, location and budget.
For instance, Todd said, remodeling a school in one area might not be a practical decision if other schools in that area already are rated for Category 3 storms. Additionally, it might be more cost-effective to retrofit a newer building rather than an older one.
Todd also said the specific amount of funding required for the pilot program has not been determined.
“If the program is successful, it could be the model for a lot of future retrofits in the future,” Todd said, adding that such retrofits could be carried out in tandem with the Department of Education’s lengthy timeline for buildings requiring maintenance.
Todd said the bill, if passed, will take effect this summer, with the target schools hopefully identified with construction plans within a year.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.