Kauai properties deemed high-risk for flooding

April 24-- Apr. 24--The Federal Emergency Management Agency has determined the Waimea and Hanapepe levees on Kauai do not provide a high level of protection and are to be de-accredited. New preliminary flood maps, effective in 2020, show areas behind the Waimea and Hanapepe levees to be in a high-risk flood zone.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources Engineering Division, FEMA and Kauai County said home and business owners behind these levees can view the new preliminary FEMA Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Flood Insurance Study at the Kauai County Department of Public Works, Engineering Office at 4444 Rice St., Suite 175, in Lihue.

The updated maps will help community officials and residents better identify known flood risks. A property's flood risk could change, and consequently so would the requirement for federally mandated flood insurance, as well as construction standards.

Affected residents and property owners are encouraged to attend community informational meetings scheduled for next month in Waimea and Hanapepe:

>> May 21 -- Eleele Elementary School Cafeteria (4750 Uliuli Road), 6-8 p.m.

>> May 22 -- Waimea Neighborhood Center (4556 Makeke Road), 6-8 p.m.

Representatives from Kauai County, FEMA and the DLNR Engineering Division will be available to answer questions.

For more information, go to or .

For the National Flood Insurance Program map changes and flood insurance fact sheet, go to .

Central Pacific hosts Japanese bank leaders

Central Pacific Bank for the first time convened each of the leaders of the TSUBASA Alliance of Japan in Honolulu. The TSUBASA Alliance is comprised of the country's regional banks that range in size from $60 billion to $126 billion and includes Chiba Bank, Chugoku Bank, Daishi/Hokuetsu Financial Holdings, North Pacific Bank, Iyo Bank and Toho Bank.

The inaugural meeting is in follow-up to the memorandums of understanding that CPB entered into with each bank in 2017-2018. Central Pacific said the participation of IBM Japan, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Gov. David Ige and Hawaii business leaders underscored the bilateral pursuits of TSUBASA and CPB in exploring advanced information technologies that would bridge both markets.

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