According to waterman Jamie Mitchell, many parts of the North Shore of Oahu are devastated after severe floods struck the island last week. Photo: Jamie Mitchell
After Oahu’s worst floods in 20 years tore through the North Shore, residents are flocking to affected areas to help. One of those residents helping clean up neighborhoods was waterman, big-wave surfer, and North Shore resident Jamie Mitchell.
“It’s a disaster zone,” Mitchell told The Inertia, taking a phone call while he was shoveling mud. “Houses are flooded. There’s the thickest, gnarliest mud you can think of that ran through houses, all through backyards.”
Parts of Oahu received eight to 12 inches of rain throughout a series of storms last week, saturating the land, threatening the integrity of a dam, and forcing 5,500 people to evacuate on Friday. More than 200 people were rescued from the rising waters.
Mitchell, who was helping in Waialua, one of the hardest hit areas, said that the community was out in full force. He reported being one of just hundreds of volunteers on the streets Monday.
“We’re on one street today. Yesterday, we were on another street,” he said. “We had our truck, loading loads of rubbish from houses. You just walk along, offering a helping hand, and whoever needs it, you jump in and do the best you can.”
Mitchell’s home at Sunset Beach was spared from the worst of the flooding, but the area near Gas Chambers — between Pipeline and Sunset — saw eight feet of water, sending cars floating down the road. Areas across the North Shore from Haleiwa to Laie sustained varying levels of damage.
“It’s devastating,” Mitchell said. “It’s going to be a long time to rebuild. A lot of houses probably are unfixable — those old plantation houses got moved off their foundations and splattered.”
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Mitchell said, to his knowledge, many locations on the North Shore are still without power, and they’ve been advised not to drink the tap water as it could be contaminated. His kids didn’t go back to school today because of the water contamination.
It will be a long time, Mitchell says, before he returns to the ocean.
“There are rivers still broken — the Paumalu River at Sunset by the lifeguard tower is still rushing dirty water out into the ocean today,” he said. “It depends on how much it rains; if it keeps raining, I won’t be surfing for at least a week for sure.”
Despite forecasts calling for sun, Mitchell reported that the rain had started again as he was speaking on Monday afternoon.
Mitchell recommended that those looking to help show up at the most affected areas and offer their assistance. Volunteers are already on the ground providing food and water to those working in the streets. For those outside the North Shore, he directed people to gonorthshore.org for donation information.
Despite the devastation, Mitchell says it’s been heartwarming to watch his neighbors unite and support one another.
“The community has come together like you’ve never seen,” said Mitchell. “I’m proud to see everyone come together.”
