AFTERMATH TO MEGA STORM

KAUAI’S NORTH SHORE

                For those watching world news on TV or internet, natural catastrophe has become too routine.  For Kauaians, it has become real and personal.  Gil and I fared very well as seen in my last post.  We were amazed by the ferocity of the thunderstorm but the aftermath for us was a little wash out in our yard and one cracked one-man outrigger from an otherwise devastated canoe club.  Within two weeks our yard has recovered and is now hosting several native plants and my outrigger has been repaired and painted and is better than ever. 

Kokio ‘ula (hibiscus clayii) and three ulei, hawthorne family

The flower is not as huge as ornamental hibiscus, but all the more special.  It will provide shade for the native ferns we are trying to establish.

My canoe, an old Naia, getting repaired, new fiberglass over crack sustained when the rack it was on floated into the trees at the club.  Luckily Gil has become expert in canoe and paddle repair.

Naia done - the paint was a tad off-color so he taped off a design and it looks great

Hanalei                                                                                                       (photo unk)

Saturday night 4/14 and Sunday 4/15/18

        Initial news: 27” in 24 hours, 

        Later record breaking stats:  Waipa watershed recorded 50” in 24 hours

        Breakdown:  average rain was almost 5” per hour but in one specific 1.5 hour period 
          it showed closer to 10” per hour

Namolokama Canoe Club in Hanalei was next to the mouth of the river.  See last post for state of boats on Sunday.  That Monday, we all carried out our one-mans and stabilized the racks. The club was cleared out and tent repaired the next weekend with help of all the clubs on the island.  This meant carrying the broken ones along the beach during low tide and paddling the ones that could be paddled.  Two were lashed together to make a 12 man and using a platform between, debris was removed.

Weke Rd.  This is the road to the pier and to the club. That patch of asphalt past the drop here only goes a few yards and drops again (where the cars and restrooms went in, shown in last post).  By mayoral edict, no one is allowed near Black Pot, the pier, or the club until the road is repaired; this year or next?

Nat’l guard - looky loos discouraged

It is predicted around the island that it will take months to clear and repair roads.    The following pics are not mine, obviously some aerial (grabbed from DNLR video) and some taken by friends from the other side.  

Blockage                                                                                                           photo K Valier

Digger                                                                                                                    photo unk.

It isn’t just moving the mud and rocks.  Hillsides need to be stabilized.  Volcanic islands provide shallow footholds for plants at the best of times, so when that kind of violence rains down vertical hillsides, the trees come down too.

 

These roads are not just blocked but actually missing in places, see upper left.

The homes between Hanalei and the end of the road where the Na Pali begins were all subject to mudslides in relation to the valley walls dumping as well as the streams themselves.  Nature does not distinguish rich or poor, or human activities at all for that matter.  Where homes were on stilts or elevated above the rising water, interiors are still molding.  Ground level storage, often where laundry rooms and garages were, saw washers and dryers and cars either washed away or rendered unusable.  Some families as well as tourists with rental cars were boated out so many cars were abandoned and are still there.

Fridge                                                                                                               photo K Valier

Haena – cars with no place to go                                                                     photo K Valier

Limahuli stream                                                                                                photo K Valier

This little section of road at the stream was always sketchy but you can see how high the water rushed along both sides.

Lifeguard stand at Ke’e beach                                                                         photo K Valier

Guest house totally gone                                                                                   photo K Valier

                While it is true that the storm itself was the worst on our north shore, homes were also flooded in Koloa town on the south side.  Anahola lost houses, (see picture from bridge on last post).  Every bridge on the island was compromised and had to be checked for damage due to debris that came downriver.

Wailua River                                                                                                             photo unk.

                 The fairly new Wailua bridge is still being compromised because the debris, including trees, has not been cleared away from supports.

KOKUA (mutual assistance)

                The week following the storm was truly a most amazing grass roots Kauaian style collection of food and goods.  National Guard helicopters flew back and forth with items collected, boxed and bagged with plastic.  Another storm was supposed to hit hard and that spurred everyone beyond their imagination as to what that would mean.  The helicopters stopped the Saturday after the mega storm, the new storm did not materialize, and boats took over the distribution. Collection centers sprang up wherever boats could be loaded, primarily Anini Beach launch and the park known as Pavillion on Hanalei Bay. 

The Animals – Four leggeds

                All mud, no grass.  Runaway pets.  Cat and dog food had been sent out but rumor had it that it got pilfered.  Three veterinarian doctors took that bull by the horns and a) collected food for pets and livestock, b) arranged storage while collection continued, c) set up continuous round trip boats, d) people to load at this end and, e) people to unload and disperse at the other end.  The money friends sent me, designated for the animals, put me in that loop.  In addition to people food and goods I bought 400 pounds of livestock feed and alfalfa cubes for horses. 

As I had 300 lbs. of it on my passenger seat, I had to pull over and move it to connect the seat belt that would have made me batty if it dinged all the way back.

Animal food - Cathy Parker's garage was estimated to have 6,000 lbs ready to go the night before, with a big load coming the next morning.

Two-leggeds

I didn’t make it to the unloading project Saturday as I was making up boxes of first aid, feminine hygiene, baby goods, cleaning supplies, etc. to be delivered.  I did not re-box cases of tuna fish, peanut butter, canned chicken, soup, soy milk, coffee, garbage bags, paper towel & TP, etc.  The helicopters had stopped the day before, the animal folks had their hands (and boats) full.  I finally connected with a fellow working with Hawaii Food Bank and Malama Kauai.  He loaded everything in his camper truck and texted me its progress to dry storage in Hanalei overnight and that it went by ATV on Sunday to the distribution site in Haena.

Packages from the heart

Thank you Gray

We are still texting and my next shopping will likely be fresh produce that he is confident he can get delivered while it is still fresh!  A friend's son returned to the island after the storm and immediately sent cases of beer.  I'm sure that was an instant smile maker.

CIVIC KOKUA

                The next request for help came through the canoe club. I re-sent it through the coconut wireless to the neighborhood gang looking for volunteers.  Forms for aid were being passed around to anyone who had losses.  The problem was the many forms for different state & county (no sign of federal) agencies, groups, etc.  Some brilliant person set up a central data base and the paper forms needed to be re-entered.  By Wednesday, a few people were still showing up to fill them in but primarily it was data entry.  Zuckerberg, of Facebook fame (and infamously known on Kauai for suits to undo native lands and beach access through his walled 700 coast acres) gave one million dollars to flood relief. 

Registration, 4 page form

                Through that activity I learned of the diverse losses.  For some, everything they owned was gone.  For others, losses were minimal but they had to deal with mud, mud, mud; or mold that returned as soon as it was cleaned away.  One friend’s son was hospitalized for several days from eating without thoroughly cleaning the mud off his hands.  At the feed store in Lihue, they sold out of an entire year’s worth of rubber boots.  A friend who is off island now, sent an order of all sizes from Amazon and then had difficulty getting them delivered (delivery being one of the biggest issues).  

                As we entered the data, forms were pulled out with requests for medicine.  There was an “immediate needs” pile.  One lady came to the island to work but her housing was gone and she was sleeping in her rental car.  She wasn’t seeking a way out, she asked for gas and something softer to sleep on, so she could continue helping to clean.  Working people cannot get to their jobs, kids cannot get to school.  Many families boated out but only if they had places to stay on this side.  Many people were not willing to leave their homes for a variety of reasons.  One Hanalei family that reported losing their goats were later pleased to learn the animals had run to high ground and returned; they had not been washed out to sea.

Exploitation

                The infamous character who was picking up tourists in his boat, then extorting them for their cash “or swim” once they were a couple hundred yards off shore, was found and arrested.  Glenn Kobayashi apparently owns the gravel Kumu Road that goes up behind Hanalei, the remote west side of Waioli stream.  An old Hawaiian family has been trapped up there since the storm.  Though Mr. Kobayashi also has a heavy equipment company it could be expected that he would clear the road but he is holding out until someone hands him a check for $100,000, first.  Of course this is hearsay but the folks in contact with the family know they cannot come out.  Hip deep mud made getting anything to them difficult.  I met one young man that had carried in a chainsaw but it took a very long time to go the distance of under two miles.  Another friend borrowed a pole chainsaw as they were trying to clear the river to get part way by kayak or skiff. 

                I petitioned for the family to be on the immediate needs list, offered to go buy them supplies and pushed for someone to arrange a heli drop.  I learned Sunday that Team Rubicon had gotten to them with volunteers, YAY!! 

DONATIONS, DONATIONS, DONATIONS

                To those of you who sent money directly to me, thank you, thank you.  Every box went out with a heart on it.  For those of you who since have wanted to donate through us, I have your names and if some opportunity comes along I will let you know, thank you, thank you for your generous spirit.  Most of you have heard all these stories already and since others have not, the blog is my way of journaling events.  Thanks for your indulgence.

For others who decided to divert their donations to the canoe club, a special account has been set up for those. Thank you, thank you.  I’ve suggested making checks out to Namolokama Canoe Club or NCC and mailing them to Gil.  He will see that they get deposited and help direct their use. The club is non-profit and donations are tax-deductible. 

The group I am very impressed with now is Malama Kauai, also non-profit, and works year round to get help to those who really need it.  You can see some of their works on the website and donate that way.

Another group I have been very happy to learn of is called Team Rubicon.  Apparently Hawaii is Region IX for them along with California, Nevada, and Arizona.  But I saw that they sent region nine guys to Houston as well.  I wouldn’t hesitate to support them now or in the future.  They are volunteers with military and medical backgrounds now acquiring other volunteers and specializing in disaster assistance, not just in the US, especially where there may be risk in doing so.

This is an ongoing story, both for the island and for us as we attempt to kokua those in trouble. It seems to me there are at least as many hands helping as receiving.  I will keep you posted.