Disaster Preparedness & Resilience

Protecting Communities

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What We Did

• Led the county’s response to the April 2018 historic North Shore flood, when more than 49 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, destroying or severely damaging more than 500 homes. Immediately secured $100 million in state funding to repair roads, bridges, and parks and begin recovery.

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• Directed coordinated emergency response with federal, state, county, and community partners, restoring access to isolated communities and accelerating rebuilding efforts.

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• Strengthened county emergency management coordination and planning, built from real experience responding to disasters during his years as mayor.

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• Advanced river and stream maintenance efforts to reduce flood risks and improve watershed management across the island.

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Vision Forward

Bernard’s approach to disaster preparedness comes from experience. Having led the island through real emergencies, he understands how quickly conditions can change and how critical strong leadership and coordination are in those moments.

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His focus is practical and proactive: learn from past disasters, strengthen vulnerable infrastructure, improve watershed management, and ensure agencies and communities are prepared before the next storm arrives.

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Experience matters when the stakes are this high. Bernard believes Kaua‘i is strongest when leadership is steady, prepared, and ready to act when the island needs it most.