Back in January, Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense kicked off a study to examine how Waikōloa really evacuates in an emergency: how long it takes to get out and where we get stuck. Many of you attended that first meeting and shared what it was like to live through the 2021 Mana Road fire evacuation. Now, the results are ready, and Civil Defense is holding a community meeting on July 14 to walk through what they found. What they have learned could directly affect how our community stays safe and what changes might be made to our future evacuation plans, so it’s important for all of us to hear how these findings impact residents like you.

Meeting: Waikōloa Community Meeting: Evacuation Traffic Study Results, Hosted by Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM
Location: Waikōloa Village Association Banquet Room
Can't make it in person? Join on Zoom!
Meeting ID: 165 675 5625 / Passcode: 867746

While the exact results of the study are being revealed at the meeting, you can expect to learn about how long it takes to evacuate Waikōloa, where traffic bottlenecks might slow us down, and what steps are being proposed to improve our evacuation routes. The study puts real numbers to something we've talked about for years, and there will be time for questions. Please plan to attend and bring a neighbor so you can learn how these findings might affect you. If you can't be there in person, the Zoom details are right above. (New to the study? Here's our recap from the January meeting.)