For years it has been a mantra of emergency preparedness: Officials across the state urge Hawaiʻi residents to keep portable radios and extra batteries on hand whenever storms or other hazards pose a threat. The idea is those radios will convey urgent government warnings and updates when other systems fail.
But when Hurricane Lowell battered Kauaʻi this week, electricity went out and radio communications to the public failed across much of the island. That left residents starved for information, such as which roads were safe for travel, where they could access food and aid and whether hospitals or other public facilities were open. Many were literally in the dark.
