Some communities have been completely wiped out on Oahu. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
If you have been to the North Shore of Oahu, you know just how special of a place it is. Not only for the waves, but for the nearby communities that call it home. It’s one of the most stunningly beautiful places on Earth, but after the floods, it is a disaster zone. Nate Florence, who grew up playing in the sand and on the waves and on the red dirt, recently took the time to share the extent of the damage, as well as a list of places people can help.
When the catastrophic flood warning came early on the morning of Friday, March 20, many were unprepared for what was to come. It was nearly impossible to be — flooding like this hasn’t occurred there in recent memory — and thousands attempted to escape the area in the pre-dawn hours. The rain was unrelenting, filling rivers past their breaking points and bringing thick red mud down from the mountains with it.
When the rains eased and the flood waters receded, residents began to filter back to their homes. What they found was almost indescribable. The destruction in some areas was near complete.
“Certain communities in Hawaii got completely devastated,” Florence said. “Wailua, here on the North Shore, whole neighborhoods wiped out. There are neighborhoods all over the island — on the west side as well as the east side — that got wiped out. Here on North Shore, Keiki, and people lost absolutely everything. I’m talking like their houses are completely unlivable. Everything is going to have to be torn out and renovated.”
There is, as always, a silver lining to be found, and it’s a very Hawaiian one: the people who live there have come together to help each other. It’s heartbreaking to see, but uplifting at the same time. They will rebuild, but it’s going to take time. Time and help, not only from their neighbors, but from everyone who can.
If you can help, the Lahui Foundation is a good place to start.
