City and County of Honolulu hurricane guide¶

The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management plans for hurricanes and other hazards on Oʻahu. The city and county covers the whole island and has no separate towns. Tsunami zones are the main coastal evacuation map on Oʻahu. Sign up for HNL.Alert before a storm and look up your zone.

Checked on October 5, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

Emergency and information numbers¶

Service	Number	Notes
Emergency	911	Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger.
Emergency management office	808-723-8960	Honolulu Department of Emergency Management, 650 South King Street, Basement. Office line. Not for emergencies.
Water and sewer emergencies	808-748-5000	Board of Water Supply, outages or emergencies: press 1, or call 808-748-6000 and press 1.

Official alerts and information¶

HNL.Alert: Oʻahu's mass notification system, also at hnlalert.gov. Free alerts. Sign up before a storm. Website.
Honolulu Hurricane Information: The city's official hurricane information page. Website.

Evacuation zones¶

Oʻahu uses tsunami evacuation zones. Use the Oahu Tsunami Evacuation Map to see whether you are in the Primary Tsunami Evacuation Zone (TEZ) or an Extreme Tsunami Evacuation Zone (XTEZ). If the city's map is slow, the page also links to the NOAA version.

Look up your evacuation zone

Evacuation centers¶

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Honolulu calls its hurricane shelters Hurricane Refuge Areas. The city says they are a last resort for anyone without a safer place, and that they have not been designed or hardened for hurricane conditions. Support is extremely limited, so bring your own food and necessities. There is no backup power. The city says all locations are pet friendly if pets are on a leash or in a carrier. Do not go to a site until the city announces it is open. The city lists potential locations on its refuge area page.

Official list of open evacuation centers

Power, water and debris¶

Honolulu Board of Water Supply: Outages or emergencies: press 1 on 808-748-5000 or 808-748-6000. Phone: 808-748-5000. Website.

Sources¶

Checked on October 5, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.