Kauaʻi, One Week After Hurricane Lowell: Resilience, Community and Coming Home

It has been one week since Hurricane Lowell hit Kauaʻi, and everywhere I look I’m reminded of just how resilient this island is.

The photographs from Princeville, Kīlauea, the North Shore and my own home tell the story better than words can. Trees were down everywhere. Utility poles and lines crossed highways. Roads were blocked. Homes and yards were covered in debris. Yet just days later, roads are reopening, trees are being cleared, utility crews are working around the clock, and neighbors are helping neighbors.

The progress in only one week is remarkable.

County officials reported this week that more than 620 resident damage assessments had been submitted, with 10 homes destroyed and 64 suffering major damage. At the same time, schools are reopening, infrastructure is being restored, and Kauaʻi is moving from emergency response into recovery.

“Kauaʻi Is Not for Wimps”

After the storm, I saw an old post that said:

“Kauaʻi — No Place 4 Wimps.”

It was something people said following Hurricane ʻIniki, and seeing it again brought back a flood of memories.

I was on Kauaʻi during Hurricane ʻIniki in 1992. I was 22 years old and a young television news reporter for KGMB. Earlier that day, we were sitting in the newsroom on Oʻahu and, at the time, no one believed Kauaʻi would take the direct hit it ultimately did.

So they sent the junior reporter — me — to Kauaʻi “just in case.”

The next 24 hours are something I will never forget.

My cameraman and I initially tried to brave the winds to get video. Eventually, the conditions became too dangerous, and we gave up and hunkered down in a hotel bungalow, praying the roof wouldn’t rip off.

This was long before today’s instant technology. We would shoot our stories and physically get the video to the airport, where a military transport would take it back to Oʻahu so it could make the 6 o’clock news.

What stayed with me most from ʻIniki wasn’t the destruction. It was the people.

I remember being so inspired by the way this community came together.

Thirty-four years later, I experienced that same spirit again — but this time Kauaʻi isn’t simply an island I was sent to cover as a young reporter. It’s my home. It’s where I raised my three children. It’s my community.

This Storm Was Personal

Like many people on Kauaʻi, I was afraid during Hurricane Lowell.

But my greatest fear wasn’t for my house. It was for my husband.

He is an Emergency Responder based in Hanalei and was out in the middle of the hurricane responding to emergencies and trying to rescue people.

He didn’t come home for three days.

When he finally did, he told me there had been several moments when he genuinely thought he might die. At the height of the storm, trees were crashing onto the roadway in front of and behind their crew as they attempted rescues.

Thankfully, they made it through.

Experiences like this have a way of very quickly reminding you what matters.

What Hurricane Lowell Taught Me

After a week without the conveniences we normally take for granted, I’ve learned—or perhaps relearned—that the things that matter most are pretty simple:

Family. Community. And a really good generator and chainsaw.

I’ve watched neighbors check on one another, people share food and supplies, crews work incredibly long hours, first responders put themselves in harm’s way, and complete strangers stop to help.

I’ve also watched our physical surroundings begin to recover incredibly quickly.

Princeville’s pathways are being cleared. Kīlauea is coming back to life. Roads that seemed impassable days ago are opening. Utility crews are rebuilding damaged infrastructure.  Yes, one week later we still have No Electricity and limited water, but Kaua’i is putting itself back together.

There’s No Place I’d Rather Call Home

Yes, Kauaʻi is not for wimps.

Living on a small island in the middle of the Pacific means accepting that nature is ultimately in charge. It also means being part of a community that knows how to show up when things get hard.

For those of us fortunate enough to call Kauaʻi home, raise our children here and become part of this community, weeks like this remind us just how special this place really is.

There is nowhere else I’d rather call home.

How You Can Help Kauaʻi

Recovery will continue long after the roads are cleared and the power is back on. If you would like to help locally, these organizations are doing meaningful work in our community:

• The Hanalei Initiative — A community-led nonprofit serving Kauaʻi’s North Shore and strengthening local community networks and resources.
• Mālama Kauaʻi – Donate — Supports Kauaʻi families with locally grown food while also supporting the island’s farmers and food producers.
• Kauaʻi Independent Food Bank – Donate — Provides food assistance to Kauaʻi families, keiki and kūpuna, including emergency food distribution.

Mahalo to our firefighters, police officers, utility crews, County workers, volunteers, neighbors and everyone who has helped Kauaʻi begin to recover.

We have a long way to go, but one week later, Kauaʻi is already standing back up.