Hurricane Lowell Relief: September 18 Update

Power restoration has climbed to 91% island-wide, but the roughly 3,329 members still without electricity are concentrated right here on our side of the island: about 2,000 from Moloaʻa to Hanalei, and 500 more in Wainiha and Hāʻena, the most isolated and hardest-hit stretch of the North Shore. The Wainiha Powerhouse Road bridge is currently limited to 5 tons; a temporary abutment due Monday should raise that to 15.

With government crews stretched thin, our North Shore neighbors have built their own recovery operation, and it looks a lot like Service Above Self in action. Pelika Andrade, founder of the nonprofit Na Maka Onaona, is coordinating meal prep that's now producing 400 lunches and 400 dinners a day. Kauaʻi Resilience Team coordinator Megan Wong drives the neighborhood calling out "You need food?" to anyone still stuck without power, with her daughter Honey Chandler organizing the volunteer labor behind it. Her words say it best: "Let us heal. Let our power come back on."

Not everyone feels the recovery is moving fast enough. "They're being ignored, that's what really gets me," said Pat Coon of Project Vision Hawaiʻi, pointing to the lack of road crews reaching the area. Mayor Derek Kawakami credited the North Shore's self-sufficiency: "They are independent in and of itself of any government support." Read the full story from Honolulu Star-Advertiser. This is exactly the kind of neighbor-to-neighbor need our club's Disaster Relief fund exists for. To contribute or volunteer through the club, reach out to Mark Wolfendale, our Disaster Relief program contact.

As of Wednesday morning, the county had logged 747 resident-submitted damage assessments: 18 homes destroyed and 101 with major damage. Two hurricane recovery resource centers are open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hanalei and Kōloa neighborhood centers, and the Hanalei Initiative is running hourly shuttles from Wainiha for members and neighbors who need to reach them. Most schools have reopened; Hanalei Elementary brings back employees Friday and students Monday, with no bus fares charged through the end of the week.

A new weather concern is layering onto the recovery: remnants of Tropical Storm Norbert triggered a Flood Watch running Wednesday evening through Friday morning, with saturated soils and compromised drainage in storm-damaged areas raising the risk of flash flooding on top of everything else. The county is running seven storm debris sites, weather permitting, and residents have until June 30, 2027 to file tax remission forms for storm-damaged property. Get the full county rundown from The Garden Island, and if you or a neighbor need a hand connecting to resources, Mark Wolfendale, our Disaster Relief program contact, is here to help.