Veteran Big Island Reporter Rips State Civil Defense Chief for “Failure To Communicate”

While we await updates on the University of Hawaii’s effort to construct a workable emergency communications program, we’ll turn to an unexpected source of inspiration.

Hawaii residents with even a modicum of public affairs awareness will recognize Hugh Clark as the long-time (as in, decades-long) Honolulu Advertiser reporter/editor/bureau chief on the Big Island. During his long tenure as the Advertiser’s “man on Hawaii,” Hugh covered every imaginable natural and man-made disaster – hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions and more.

You name it, Hugh Clark was there – which is why his letter to State Civil Defense chief Major General Robert Lee has so much weight. Hugh was moved to write his letter after reading General Lee’s commentary in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that attacked CHORE for questioning State Civil Defense’s response to the October 15th earthquakes.

Here’s Hugh’s letter to General Lee, printed with his permission and cleaned up only for the occasional typo:

Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee
Director, State Civil Defense
3429 Diamond Head
Honolulu, HI 96815

Dear Sir:

I was dismayed when I read your attack on Doug Carlson in the Star-Bulletin in March. My reply was delayed by my desire to think through an appropriate response.

Several pieces since then, including Gordon Pang’s (story) about 147 sirens MIA, convinced me to act, since it is clear you have done little or nothing after your disastrous response to the October double earthquake event.

I speak from 40 years of residence on the Big Island where, as a former editor and reporter, I participated in Civil Defense drills as a guest and covered events from major earthquakes to such wide-ranging events as disastrous lava flows and snow-blinded tourists on Mauna Kea. I also was involved in several would-be hurricane events that alarm Oahbu residents far more than seasoned Big Islanders.

That an alleged 147 tusnami sirens are needed and not yet installed six months after the Kiholo quakes speaks volumes about your inaction. Sirens are the key to tsunami alerts, more so than on-air radio stations.

That you have not set up to this point radio backup electric systems also is unpardonable.

Let me add some other observations. I was alert when these events occurred nearly simultaneously and my Big Island radio stations were dead. I turned on my television service and listened stupefied by Fox News that had some moron who said he was puzzled by a Hawaii earthquake because there are no fault zones here.

Later, as electric service here was restored, (Mayor) Harry Kim came on with his reassuring voice and gave us the first sense of what was happening. He continued to do that while you folks in Honolulu failed miserably, as Doug obviously has observed.

You say you “don’t understand the purpose of the negative.” A more real question is, do you understand your responsibility and your failures since these earthquakes?

You might have the spit and polish of a military officer, but your Civil Defense performance is plainly lacking.

I recommend you sign up Doug as an adviser, rather than trying to kill the messenger, and get yourself in gear to fix the most obvious problems – lack of radio signals because there is no back-up generation ,and get the damn sirens up and running.

Until then, you are the one “failing to communicate.”

Yours truly,
Hugh Clark
Hilo, HI

We've posted this letter simply to reflect the fact that CHORE was not alone in our criticism of State Civil Defense's commuications efforts during its big test in October. The agency's aggressive response to our criticism seemed out of line at the time and still does.

We’re glad Hugh Clark -- an experienced and respected observer of current events -- sees it that way, too.