City closes non-essential offices, facilities Friday amid storm threat

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – In response to ongoing severe weather conditions and potential threats to the health and safety of Oahu residents, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi ordered the closure of all non-essential offices and services of the City and County of Honolulu on Friday, April 10.

All disaster response and support personnel are reporting to work; all other City and County of Honolulu employees will be granted administrative leave.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are taking this step to protect the health and safety of our residents and visitors as this storm continues to develop,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “We are asking everyone to take this situation seriously. Stay home if you can, avoid unnecessary travel, and make preparations now in case conditions worsen overnight. Our first responders and emergency personnel are fully activated and ready, but we all have a role to play in keeping our communities safe.”

This results in the closure of several City facilities and suspension of public services, including (but not limited to):

All Driver Licensing Centers & Satellite City Halls (appointments will be rescheduled)
All Municipal Golf Courses
The Honolulu Zoo
The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, all Honolulu Botanical Gardens, all parks, and recreational facilities, including:
Athletic fields
Swimming pools
Outdoor courts
Gymnasiums (except those designated as shelters)

Emergency shelters remain open across Oʻahu for anyone needing a safe place to stay:

Wahiawā District Park
Mānoa Valley District Park
Wai‘anae District Park
Kāne‘ohe District Park

There are currently no evacuation orders in place, but residents are encouraged to make decisions early if conditions around them begin to deteriorate.

Shelters are open to both residents and visitors and are pet-friendly. Those seeking shelter should bring essential items, including food, water, medications, and pet supplies whenever possible.

Residents and visitors should also prepare for significant disruptions to island-wide transportation networks, including potential road closures, traffic signal outages, and transit delays. Skyline will operate as scheduled. The Bus and Handi-Van services could be suspended due to worsening weather conditions and unsafe wind speeds for high-profile vehicles like City buses. Visit www.thebus.org for more information on services suspended due to weather conditions.

Some City buses may be used for evacuation purposes, as directed by first responders, boarding passengers at any safe location (signal TheBus if they would like to ride); no fares required. Treat all out-of-service traffic signals as a four-way stop.

Honolulu Department of Emergency Management: www.honolulu.gov/dem
National Weather Service Honolulu: www.weather.gov/hfo
Ocean Safety Division beach conditions: www.oceansafety.honolulu.gov

Residents are encouraged to stay connected through HNL Alert by visiting www.hnlalert.gov or by texting HNLALERT to 888-777 to receive urgent emergency notifications directly on their phones.

For more information on storm preps and recovery, visit oneoahu.org

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