Hauula residents continued Saturday to clean up after last week’s damaging flooding of Oahu’s North Shore and Windward communities, with some calling for more assistance from the government.
Heavy rains have pounded much of the state in recent days and continued over the weekend. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency offered an initial estimate of around $7.5 million in damage statewide from the severe weather, with approximately 75 to 100 residents and businesses reporting losses so far.
On Oahu, populated areas from Waialua to Laie and Kahaluu experienced intense flooding as streams overflowed and drainage systems were overwhelmed. But it didn’t take long for residents, volunteers and community organizations from all over the island to quickly rally to help those affected by the storms, clearing debris from homes, streets and businesses and washing away thick layers of mud deposited by flood waters.
On Friday, volunteers from the Lahui Foundation were in Hauula collecting and distributing goods for those in need. On Saturday, the foundation, along with volunteers from the Hawaii Foodbank and other groups, were at Hauula Civic Center to do the same.
Foundation director Melissa Ka‘onohi-Camit noted how folks had rallied to support one another after the flooding.
“The community stepped up,” she said. “There are a lot of small organizations, foundations like the Lahui Foundation, like the churches in the area — at both sites, at Hauula, in Haleiwa.”
Dozens of volunteers loaded and sorted goods that included food, toiletries, blankets, kitchenware, appliances and even furniture as residents filtered in and out looking for what they needed.
Just a few blocks from the civic center, Rebecca Wolfersberger was cleaning up after some minor water damage to her home near the Hauula Loop Trail.
Heavy rains flooded her neighborhood and swept what became a wall of broken trees and branches against a small, privately owned bridge at Maakua Stream a few hundred feet from her home. The wall of debris diverted water from the stream toward Wolfersberger’s home and others that aren’t normally subject to floodwaters.
“The deluge of water was unbelievable,” she said. “It ran right through our front porch and through all our yard. It did start seeping through our front door.”
Two privately owned companies offered their excavators to clear the stream of most of the debris, which they plan to have hauled away today with the help of a few more excavators. Spencer Colburn, construction project manager for Colburn Construction, helped organize the volunteer group.
While many praised the overwhelming community support to help those affected by the flooding, others questioned why the government response has been slow or inadequate.
Rep. Sean Quinlan, D, Waialua-Kahuku-Waiahole, wanted more help from the state and wondered why Gov. David Ige had not called in the National Guard to assist with the disaster response.
“I think in most situations like this in most places … (the) National Guard is most often first on the scene,” Quinlan said. “I feel really blessed to be in a community that has so much heart and love for one another, but I can’t help but feel that we’re a little overwhelmed and that we need help ourselves.”
He said better plans and policies need to be established for future flooding incidents. For starters, he said, there should be an automatic suspension of limits on how much debris and garbage can be hauled to transfer stations, without having to wait for city officials to act.
According to Quinlan, residents were initially denied permission to exceed the two-load-per-day limit at transfer stations until the city lifted the restriction Thursday.
Dotty Kelly-Paddock, president of the Hauula Community Association, hopes better emergency response policies are in place before the next flooding event.
“Nothing about this is really surprising. I studied what happened in Kauai (in 2018) when they had their terrible flooding on the north shore, and the communities had to do it themselves,” she said. “They couldn’t depend on the government to do anything because they were just too slow.”
Kelly-Paddock said she was able to coordinate with Colburn to get the excavators to tackle the wall of debris at Maakua Stream on Saturday after trying and failing to get either the city or the state to clear out the trees and branches.
A Department of Transportation spokeswoman said the DOT denied a request by the city to remove the debris because it involved a privately owned structure, not state property.
Both Quinlan and Kelly- Paddock said they also would like to see more manpower to help clean up after the floods.
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How to kokua
Donation drop-off and pickup continues today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hauula Civic Center, 54-010 Kukuna Road. Organizers are asking for donations of cleaning and laundry supplies, bedding, clothing, pet food, flashlights, towels, personal hygiene items, buckets, trash bags, gift cards, prepared meals, rags, tarps, tents and other goods. Monetary donations can be made at lahuifoundation.org. For more information, email info@lahui foundation.org or call 782-5835.
