| 41 | | - | WHEREAS, Hawaii is vulnerable to catastrophic natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, and high winds that can devastate communities; and WHEREAS, global warming is increasing the frequency of these natural disasters, including hurricanes, in the State; and WHEREAS, warming seas have moved the formation area for Pacific hurricanes northward over time, causing hurricanes pathing westward across the Pacific Ocean to also move northward, placing Hawaii more directly in the paths of hurricanes; and WHEREAS, historically, Hawaii's two defenses against hurricanes have been cooler seas that slow and weaken hurricanes and strong trade winds that tear hurricanes apart, but Hawaii's seas are now warmer and trade winds occur on less than half of the days in a year; and WHEREAS, without these defenses, there is nothing to slow down or stop hurricanes from directly hitting Hawaii for a majority of the year; and WHEREAS, global warming causes stronger hurricanes, and the number of category four and five hurricanes worldwide has doubled in the last thirty years and is expected to continue to grow; and WHEREAS, category five super hurricanes with winds of one hundred seventy miles per hour and greater, which historically occur once every eight years worldwide, are projected to occur annually by the end of the century; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that all high-occupancy state and county buildings, the design of which commences on or after July 1, 2025, to be designed and constructed to withstand category five hurricanes as determined by wind zone maps; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these high-occupancy state and county buildings are requested to be used as shelters in the event of an emergency; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, for purposes of this measure, "high-occupancy state and county buildings" refers to state- and county-owned public high occupancy buildings that are subject to section 430 of the Hawaii State Building Code pursuant to section 430.2 of the Hawaii State Building Code, approved by the State Building Code Council on April 20, 2021; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Comptroller, Chair of the State Building Code Council, Planning Director for the Planning Department of the County of Hawaii, Director of the Planning Department for the County of Maui, Planning Director for the Planning Department of the County of Kauai, and Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu. Report Title: State-owned Public Buildings; County-owned Public Buildings; High-occupancy Buildings; Design; Construction; Hurricanes; Shelter |
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| 41 | + | WHEREAS, Hawaii is vulnerable to catastrophic natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, and high winds that can devastate communities; and WHEREAS, global warming is increasing the frequency of these natural disasters, including hurricanes, in the State; and WHEREAS, warming seas have moved the formation area for Pacific hurricanes northward over time, causing hurricanes pathing westward across the Pacific to also move northward, placing Hawaii more directly in the paths of hurricanes; and WHEREAS, historically, Hawaii's two defenses against hurricanes have been cooler seas that slow and weaken hurricanes and strong trade winds that tear hurricanes apart, but Hawaii's seas are now warmer and trade winds occur on less than half of the days in a year; and WHEREAS, without these defenses, there is nothing to slow or stop hurricanes from a direct hit on Hawaii for a majority of the year; and WHEREAS, global warming causes stronger hurricanes and the number of category four and five hurricanes worldwide has doubled in the last thirty years and is expected to continue to grow; and WHEREAS, category five super hurricanes with winds of one hundred seventy miles per hour and greater, which historically occurs once every eight years worldwide, are projected to occur annually by the end of the century; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that all high-occupancy public buildings constructed after January 1, 2025, are requested to be designed to withstand category five hurricanes as determined by wind zone maps; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these high-occupancy public buildings are requested to be used as shelters in the event of an emergency; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Comptroller, Chair of the State Building Code Council, Planning Director for the Planning Department of the County of Hawaii, Director of the Planning Department for the County of Maui, Planning Director for the Planning Department of the County of Kauai, and Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Public Buildings; High-Occupancy Buildings; Design; Hurricanes; Shelter |
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