Talmadge Magno, Administrator of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency (CD), is set to retire on August 1, 2026, concluding a decade of leadership during which he navigated the Island of Hawaiʻi through an unprecedented series of natural disasters and public health emergencies. His tenure saw responses to major volcanic eruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic, fires, earthquakes, tsunami warnings, hurricanes, and historic Kona low storms.
Magno's leadership was notably tested by the 2018 Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse, which led to a Federal Disaster declaration and ongoing recovery efforts. He also oversaw responses to subsequent Kīlauea summit eruptions starting in 2020, and the first eruption of Mauna Loa in nearly four decades in 2022. During these events, Magno relied on the long-term monitoring and prognoses provided by scientists at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO).
Before his role as CD Administrator, Magno gained extensive experience in emergency response during his career with the National Park Service, including eight years as Chief Ranger for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. He was a key figure in the park's response to the Puʻuʻōʻō eruption and the new lava lake eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu in 2008, experiences that shaped his approach to disaster management.
Reflecting on his time, Magno emphasized the crucial role of community support in every natural hazard event response and recovery in Hawaii. He highlighted that a strong foundation laid by previous CD Administrators and staff enabled effective collaboration among county, state, and federal officials. His parting advice to his successor is to "get to know everyone as it will only be a matter of time before the next natural hazard event and response in Hawaii," underscoring the importance of building relationships for future resilience. HVO extended its sincere thanks for his "sound, sure, and steady leadership."
Current volcano activity includes Kīlauea erupting episodically within its summit caldera since December 23, 2024, with recent lava fountaining reaching up to 500 feet. Mauna Loa remains at a NORMAL alert level.