City details cost of response to tsunami warning

The City and County of Honolulu announced that responding to Saturday’s tsunami warning cost the City approximately $330,000, including overtime for police and firefighters and lost revenue from City facilities that were closed, but that there is no doubt the expenses were fully justified.

“It was well worth it, given the excellent response we had,”  Mayor Mufi Hannemann said. “The human and financial costs of failing to prepare for and respond effectively to a natural disaster such as a tsunami would be horrendous.”

Shortly after the tsunami potential was detected, the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Operating Center activated and was fully staffed. The Center was activated at 9:14 p.m., on Friday, Feb. 26, to coordinate City emergency preparation and response activities, and remained open throughout the night and next day, until the danger had passed.