Hurricane Lowell Relief: September 25 Update

Three and a half weeks after Hurricane Lowell, the recovery is entering its longer, quieter phase, the one that calls for the same Service Above Self spirit as the first days after the storm.

KIUC has restored power to 98% of members, with about 500 households still dark in Wainiha and Ha'ena, roughly 110 in Koke'e, and about 100 more scattered elsewhere. Crews hope for full restoration by this weekend. At the same time, Kaua'i is keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Nolo, now a Category 1 hurricane south of the Big Island with a hurricane watch in effect for Hawai'i County. It isn't threatening Kaua'i yet, but after Lowell, we're watching closely. Three deadlines worth knowing: property tax exemption applications are due September 30, SNAP food-replacement loss statements are due September 28, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs intake forms are due September 30.

At Kaua'i Community College, a survey found Hurricane Lowell disrupted class time or coursework for 80 percent of students. Second-year nursing student and single mother Stephanie Cram knows that firsthand, and when she learned her classmate Kelsea Carrasco had gone nine days without power in Hanalei, she showed up with a generator, gas, water, and a Starlink kit so Carrasco could keep up with class. It's the same instinct our members bring to Disaster Relief work: notice who's struggling nearby, and just help.

The West side community, one of the hardest-hit areas, has organized its own event so residents without computer access can apply for relief programs before deadlines pass. "No logos or fancy events here," the announcement from Mālama Kaua'i reads, "just community helping community." West Side Hurricane Resource Help runs this Saturday, September 26, from 11am to 2pm at Waimea Huaka'i Community Center, 4548 Carl Furutani St., Waimea. Nonprofits and relief organizations who can kokua should plan to set up at 10am, and can contact Tiffany Kanahele at (808) 357-8617. It's exactly the kind of grassroots effort our Disaster Relief fund exists to support, and Mark Wolfendale, who's been coordinating our kupuna check-ins on the North Shore, has seen firsthand how much this kind of hyper-local help matters right now.