Kauai County to test emergency alert system Tuesday evening

Kaua‘i residents should expect phones, email inboxes, and in some cases landlines to light up at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when the County tests its new emergency mass notification system.

The Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency said the drill is meant to check Everbridge, the county’s updated alert platform, and make sure officials can push urgent information quickly if weather, fire, or another hazard turns dangerous. The system, known as ALERT Kaua‘i, is designed to send notifications within minutes by phone call, text message, and email to residents, businesses, and local agencies across the island.

County officials say the test matters because Kaua‘i depends on fast, clear warnings when conditions change rapidly. The alerting system is used for tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, flash flooding, and other threats to safety, property, or welfare. KEMA said the notice is being issued in advance so the public recognizes the message as a test and does not confuse it with a real emergency.

Residents who receive the alert on June 16 should treat it as a drill and take no emergency action. Those who do not receive it should check whether their contact information is current, especially if they live in a flood-prone, coastal, or wildfire-exposed area or if they rely on a mobile phone, email account, or publicly listed landline for emergency messages.

KEMA said people without internet access can ask that their phone number and other pertinent information be added to the Everbridge database by calling 808-241-1800 or emailing KEMA@kauai.gov. County officials also said publicly available landline numbers may be included in the system.

The test comes as the central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, a period when Kaua‘i faces heightened risk from storms, high surf, flooding, and other fast-moving events. KEMA Administrator Elton Ushio said Everbridge was selected as the county’s new emergency mass notification provider, and the County switched to the system on May 5 after announcing the change on April 30.

Kaua‘i’s alerting structure also fits into the wider state and federal warning network. Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency says emergency alerts are issued by each of Hawai‘i’s four counties, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency says the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System is the national platform behind authenticated alerts sent through Wireless Emergency Alerts, the Emergency Alert System, and NOAA Weather Radio.