It might sound crazy but living near an ocean I keep an emergency inflatable raft for precisely this kind of situation with my larger emergency kit / go bag. Even a life preserver though is a lifesaver for this type of random natural disaster scenario.<p>Another option is an airtight backpack like those used by packrafters. Good for waterproof in a rainstorm but also good as improvised life preserver if it has an air purge/inflation valve like Watershed dry bag backpacks (if you're willing to pay more you can get them in black btw) have as an option.<p>You do have to deal with the flipside of having an airtight backpack though which is moisture management on the inside, if you put anything that condensates like a cold drink or has moisture like dirty gym clothes you'll need to make sure to keep the top opening opened to air out. Attaching a mesh bag to the outside though provides a mechanism for drying out items that retain moisture.<p>Beyond Watershed, another decent option is Patagonia Guidewater, Fishpond Thunderhead, or Simms Dry Creek. Have heard of waterproofness failures though with any given zipper based airtight bag whereas haven't really heard of any with Watershed's ziplock style closure. You don't get any internal organization or padding though. Though I've found that throwing a picnic blanket and spare jacket / insulation layer at the bottom provides some padding for a laptop and has a dual use.
We visited Maui last year, and I was kind of shocked how desertified it is. When HC&S (I think) pulled out in 2016, they left behind untended sugarcane plantations and a row of huge trees to die by the highway, I think they are Moneypods:<p><a href="https://www.photoresourcehawaii.com/image/I0000Bzi9pq4Ok6E" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.photoresourcehawaii.com/image/I0000Bzi9pq4Ok6E</a><p>The tragedy of it is that I saw that exploitation everywhere we went. Outside of Nicaragua and Guatemala, I don't think I've ever been somewhere where the locals were as suspicious of tourists. The pandemic gutted their economy so the feeling of hopelessness hung around even relatively remote places we visited along the Road to Hana.<p>I just want to add that the Hawaiian islands have (I think) all climates represented and are dryer than expected, especially the lower islands which don't have trees on the mountains to catch rainwater. Which may even add a familiar appeal for mainlanders traveling there. But it was apparent that large swaths of native vegetation were cleared for colonization. I just don't see how fire management would work when an entire community has had its resources stolen for a century or more.
First, to anyone reading who has family or connections to the area – this is just awful, and there's really no words to offer that can change that.<p>This summer has been absolute madness in terms of extreme weather. El Niño, combined with the reduction in shipping aerosols, against the background of just way too much human emissions building up in the atmosphere is producing some very dramatic events – many tragic.<p>From the extreme flooding in Vermont, to the blistering heatwaves across the southwest, China, Europe, to one freakish hail storm after another.<p>Many will chime in and say "it's just social media amplifying the worst", or "The Earth goes through cycles", or "how come the charts start 100 years ago". But, for anyone who's been paying attention to Climate Change for a long time now it's pretty clear that the future we've been warned about has arrived.<p>It's very sad that this issue was successfully politicized. We have <i>one</i> planet.
I'm from Maui, and the reports of my family there are pretty bad. It sounds like the small town of Lahaina has had catastrophic damage to front street, which is one of the main tourist economic centres. I know of multiple heritage buildings that are completely lost.<p>Additionally, apparently around 80 boats in the harbor have burned. I'm trying to fathom how boats, in the harbor, have burned, but.... alas.
Here's a video of a helo overflight of (what is left of) Lahaina.<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/1003045402/videos/989569092271534/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/1003045402/videos/989569092271534/</a>
<p><pre><code> “I grabbed some people I saw on the street who didn’t seem to have a good plan. And I had told them, ‘Get your stuff, get in my truck,’” he said.
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No matter where you live: Have an emergency kit, a plan, and practice it at least once a year.<p><a href="https://www.ready.gov/kit" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.ready.gov/kit</a>
The video on this post [0] gives a more dramatic view than the media and language CNN are using.<p>A warning: Although it has been edited to remove footage of a person who died, it's still terrifying stuff.<p>0 - <a href="https://old.reddit.com/r/ThatsInsane/comments/15mf7aj/maui_is_on_fire_this_was_taken_in_lahaina/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://old.reddit.com/r/ThatsInsane/comments/15mf7aj/maui_i...</a>
Super sad to see. Nowhere is safe from the realities of nature. And climate change is just kicking everything up several notches faster than most places are prepared for. Are hurricanes new to Hawaii? No. But will they become more frequent? Absolutely.
Do they mean to say that in Hawaii, people are wading into the water?<p>Doesn't the reporter on the phone ascribe it to the action of a hurricane that is currently active, with dryness and high winds contributing?<p>FWIW 1000 acres is less than 2 square miles. 640 acres is 1 square mile.