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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Prepare a household kit before an eruption or ash event, not after an alert. Hawaiʻi Department of Health guidance encourages a 14-day emergency supply, while the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) recommends a 14-day family go-kit. Pack for every person and pet, keep a portable bag ready for evacuation, and monitor your county emergency management agency and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (USGS HVO) for changing conditions and orders.
Why volcanic preparation in Hawaiʻi needs more than a standard disaster bag
Volcanic hazards are location-specific and can change quickly. Lava, ash, vog, earthquakes, road closures and evacuation orders do not affect every community in the same way. An article or old incident notice cannot establish that your neighborhood is safe. County emergency management agencies and current USGS HVO information are the authorities to use when conditions develop.
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Hawaiʻi’s Department of Health encourages residents to maintain supplies for 14 days because an eruption or another disaster can isolate communities and disrupt access to food, water, medicines and electricity. HIEMA’s general preparedness guidance likewise describes a 14-day family go-kit. Treat that period as a planning target, then adjust the contents to the people, medical needs, animals and mobility requirements in your household.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteVolcanic ash and vog are different hazards. Ash consists of tiny rock and glass particles that can be inhaled downwind, injure eyes and breathing passages, and irritate skin or open wounds. Vog is volcanic smog created by emissions and can travel beyond the vent area. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a dangerous gas associated with volcanic emissions, not an ash particle. A particulate respirator can address only part of this problem.
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Use two layers: a home supply and a carryable evacuation bag
A large home cache gives you endurance if travel is unsafe or services are interrupted. A smaller go-kit lets you leave quickly when officials direct an evacuation. Store them together or in clearly marked locations so nobody has to search for supplies while an alert is active.
| Kit layer | Use | What belongs in it |
|---|---|---|
| Home emergency supply | Remain supplied during isolation, outages or a period when travel is not advised. | Water, nonperishable food, prescription medicines and medical necessities, hygiene items, first aid, lighting, information equipment and household-specific supplies. |
| Portable go-kit | Leave promptly when an official evacuation order or local direction applies. | Essential food and water, medicines, sturdy shoes, clothing, face coverings, gloves, sanitizer, first aid, flashlight, batteries, radio, manual can opener, hygiene supplies, whistle, important documents and pet supplies in a bag that can be carried quickly. |
Keep the portable bag light enough for the person who must carry it. A kit that cannot be lifted, opened or moved is not ready for an evacuation. Put documents and medications where they can be reached without unpacking the entire bag.
What should I put in an emergency kit for a volcano?
Water and nonperishable food
Set aside drinking water and nonperishable food for every household member. The official guidance establishes the 14-day planning period, but it does not provide one universal water quantity for every household or situation. Calculate your own needs with current local guidance, the number of people and pets, medical requirements, climate and the possibility that stores or utilities may be inaccessible.
Choose foods that household members can eat without elaborate cooking. Include a manual can opener for canned items. Rotate food and water before they become unusable, and keep a portion in the portable bag rather than storing everything in one large container.
Prescription medicines and health supplies
Include prescription medicines, medical necessities and a first-aid kit. Plan for conditions that require uninterrupted treatment, along with any equipment a household member normally uses. People with respiratory disease should discuss a personal volcanic-exposure plan with their clinician before an event; a generic mask recommendation cannot replace that advice.
Account for children, older adults and anyone who needs assistance with movement, communication or daily care. Write down essential medication information and keep important health documents with the kit when doing so is safe and appropriate.
Hygiene and sanitation
Pack hygiene supplies, hand sanitizer and any household-specific items needed to stay clean when water, power or normal waste services are disrupted. Include gloves for handling debris or dirty surfaces. Keep supplies sealed so ash cannot contaminate them before use.
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Light and reliable information
Pack a flashlight and spare batteries. Add a battery-powered or hand-crank radio: HIEMA identifies radio as a useful channel during emergencies, bad weather and power outages. Keep batteries in a dry container and check that the radio still works periodically.
Evacuation essentials
Each person should have sturdy shoes and a change of clothes suitable for walking or waiting outside. Add a whistle, important documents and a manual can opener. Important papers can include identification, insurance information, contact details and records needed for medical care or household access.
Place the kit near an exit that remains usable if ash is present. Do not block a required escape route with storage containers.
Supplies for pets
Plan for every pet, not only for people. Set aside the animal’s food, medicines and routine care supplies, and make sure the portable arrangement allows the animal to leave with you. County instructions may specify which shelters accept animals, so learn that information before an emergency.
Face coverings, gloves and ash-specific protection
HIEMA’s preparedness list includes face coverings and gloves. For volcanic ash, a certified N95 particulate respirator may reduce inhalation of ash particles when it is appropriate for the wearer and used according to its instructions. Check the product’s certification, availability and fit before an event; a respirator that does not fit the wearer cannot be assumed to provide the same protection as one that does.
Does an N95 mask protect me from volcanic ash or vog?
A certified N95 particulate respirator may help reduce exposure to airborne volcanic ash particles. It does not protect against dangerous gases such as sulfur dioxide, and it does not make vog exposure safe. Ash is a particle hazard; SO2 is a gas hazard. Do not treat the two terms as interchangeable.
A respirator is one item in a broader plan, not a replacement for evacuation, sheltering or official direction. If authorities tell you to leave, leave even if you have respirators. If you have a respiratory condition, ask your clinician how to respond to ash and vog and whether a particular respirator is suitable for you. Follow current public-health instructions rather than relying on an old incident notice.
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How much food and water should I keep for an emergency in Hawaiʻi?
Use the 14-day period recommended by the Hawaiʻi Department of Health and HIEMA as the planning horizon for your household. There is no single quantity that fits every family, pet, medical condition or location, and the cited state guidance does not establish a universal amount in this material. Base your calculation on the number of people and animals, everyday consumption and any medical or dietary requirements, then compare it with current county advice.
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Separate a usable amount for the portable go-kit from the larger home cache. Label containers, protect them from ash and heat, and rotate consumable items so an emergency does not reveal that supplies have expired or been forgotten.
Learn alerts, evacuation routes and shelters before an eruption
Hawaiʻi’s four counties issue local emergency alerts. HIEMA’s alert resources describe free text or email notifications and point residents to county channels. Subscribe to the county system for the address where you live, and do the same for a workplace, school or frequently visited property if those locations use different systems.
- Find your county emergency management agency’s official alert-registration page.
- Enroll in the available text, email or other notification channels and confirm that your contact details are current.
- Identify the evacuation routes and shelters designated for your area; routes and shelter locations can differ by hazard and may change.
- Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio available in case internet or cellular service is interrupted.
- Use the USGS Volcano Notification Service and USGS HVO information for volcano activity notifications and scientific updates, while treating county authorities as the source for local protective orders.
USGS HVO’s agency-resources page identifies the Island of Hawaiʻi Interagency Operations Plan for Volcanic Eruptions, released in 2024, and links to partner agencies and additional ash and vog resources. That plan does not replace your county’s current instructions; it helps explain how agencies coordinate information.
Before an event: a practical preparation sequence
- Map the household. List every person, pet, medication, medical device and mobility need that must be supported. Include someone who may be away from home when an alert arrives.
- Choose storage points. Keep the home cache in a cool, accessible place and the portable bag close to an exit. Protect supplies from ash, moisture and damage.
- Assemble the core items. Add water, food, medicines, hygiene and first aid, lighting, radio, batteries, shoes, clothing, documents, whistle, can opener, face coverings and gloves.
- Prepare ash protection separately. Keep certified N95 particulate respirators with their instructions. Do not label them as protection from SO2 or vog.
- Register for alerts. Confirm county text or email enrollment and write down official information sources so you are not searching during an outage.
- Rehearse leaving. Decide who takes the kit, who handles each pet and which route leads to the designated shelter or safe location. Follow the route officials identify if conditions change.
- Review regularly. Replace expired food, dead batteries and unavailable medicines; update documents, contact details and supplies when household members, pets or prescriptions change.
What should I do if ash is falling?
First check current county and public-health instructions. If officials direct evacuation, do not stay behind to improve your shelter. Take the go-kit and pets, leave promptly and follow the instructed route out of the hazard zone.
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Ash can affect communities downwind of the vent, not only the immediate eruption site. Avoid downwind hazard areas when local authorities advise doing so. People with breathing problems should follow their clinician’s plan and current health information, especially if symptoms develop.
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Evacuation-day checklist
- Read or listen to the official order and confirm which hazard and area it covers.
- Take the portable go-kit, medications, documents and pet supplies.
- Wear sturdy shoes and clothing that protects exposed skin.
- Use the evacuation route and destination provided by officials; do not infer safety from a neighboring area.
- Bring pets with you and follow shelter rules for animals.
- Keep the radio available for route changes, road closures and additional instructions.
Lava, ash, vog, earthquakes and closed roads can create different decisions at different addresses. A general checklist cannot tell you whether your street is open or whether a particular shelter is operating, so rely on the current county message.
Common planning mistakes and how to correct them
Relying on one large container
Problem: Everyone must search for supplies or carry an unwieldy box when leaving.
Fix: Keep a home cache for endurance and a separate, carryable go-kit for evacuation. Put both where household members can reach them quickly.
Assuming a mask handles every volcanic hazard
Problem: A particulate respirator is treated as protection from vog or sulfur dioxide.
Fix: Label the respirator for ash particles only, follow its instructions and use official shelter or evacuation advice for gas hazards.
Using an old incident update as a current clearance
Problem: A historical Department of Health page or past alert is used to decide that an area is safe now.
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Forgetting household-specific needs
Problem: A generic list omits a medicine, mobility aid, child’s requirement or pet supply.
Fix: Review the kit person by person and animal by animal, then update it whenever prescriptions, household members or pets change.
Leaving information behind during a power outage
Problem: The only way to receive instructions depends on a working internet connection or phone battery.
Fix: Keep a working radio, spare batteries and written contact information in the kit, and subscribe to more than one official alert channel where available.
Where do I get Hawaiʻi County volcano alerts?
Use Hawaiʻi County’s emergency management alert channels and the statewide HIEMA alert resources. Register for the county’s available text or email notifications, then monitor official county updates during an event. USGS HVO and the USGS Volcano Notification Service provide volcano-activity information, but local evacuation and shelter instructions come from the responsible county and emergency authorities.
For any island, the same rule applies: check the county emergency management agency for your location, consult current HIEMA information, and use USGS HVO for scientific activity updates. Keep those sources in your written emergency plan so you can reach them quickly when conditions change.
Final readiness check
Your kit is ready when it supports every person and pet for the recommended planning period, includes a portable set for evacuation, contains medicines and household-specific supplies, and provides light and information during an outage. You should also know the county alert channel, evacuation route and shelter information before ash or vog appears. Review the contents and official sources regularly; preparation is what lets you respond to the current order instead of guessing from a generic map or an old status message.
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