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Your comprehensive, actionable guide to navigating emergencies in Honolulu.
This guide uses AI-researched data and is being verified by our team. Routes and locations should be confirmed before use in an emergency.
Honolulu's island geography means evacuation is fundamentally different from mainland cities. You cannot drive to another state. For tsunami: go UP, not OUT. Vertical evacuation to high ground (100+ ft) or upper floors of reinforced concrete buildings is the primary survival strategy.
For non-tsunami emergencies, H-1, H-2, and H-3 provide limited options within Oahu. The island has approximately 1 million residents and 100,000+ tourists - road capacity is severely limited. Maintain shelter-in-place supplies for 14+ days as inter-island and mainland resupply may be disrupted.
Communication: Primary: cell/text. Secondary: out-of-state mainland contact. Island cell infrastructure may be damaged - text uses less bandwidth. Know the tsunami siren system: steady 3-minute tone = seek information. Have a battery radio tuned to KHVH 830 AM or any major station.
Meeting Points: Primary: Tantalus Lookout (high ground, 1,600 ft). Secondary: Diamond Head summit. For Waikiki residents: nearest tall concrete building (3+ floors, go to 4th floor or higher). Out-of-area: mainland family contact.
Roles: Person A: grab go-bags, important documents, water containers. Person B: children, pets, medications. Person C: lock up, fill bathtub with water, lead family to high ground.
Use this guide as a base for your personalized strategy.