A Civil Beat opinion piece calls on Hawaii to create an organized volunteer small-boat program to support disaster relief efforts, citing the 2023 Lahaina fire and recent hurricane activity as evidence of the need. The author argues that informal boat-owner responses have already proven effective but lack coordination and a formal plan.
- During the 2023 Lahaina fire, volunteer boat owners from Oahu spontaneously sailed to Maui to rescue survivors and deliver supplies without any government direction.
- Hurricane Lala’s recent near-miss washed out six Big Island bridges and cut off remote communities, with relief delivered almost entirely by helicopter due to damaged roads.
- The opinion piece argues helicopters are too expensive and weather-dependent for sustained disaster relief, and that boats can fill the gap once conditions calm.
- The author proposes Hawaii formalize a volunteer small-boat network to supplement first responders during future disasters, particularly for post-storm resupply of isolated communities.
- Lahaina Small Boat Harbor remained closed to commercial traffic for more than two years following the 2023 fire, highlighting harbor vulnerability during disasters.
Source: Civil Beat
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