Albizia wood crafted to help storm relief

A Hilo woodworker has found a way to help Puna rebuild after dreaded albizia trees crashed into homes and knocked over power lines during Tropical Storm Iselle.

Jeff Gomes brought a supply of his albizia bookmarks to the Made in Hawaii Festival at the Neal Blaisdell Center last weekend and plans to turn more than 50 percent of all future proceeds to Aloha United Way for relief efforts in Puna, where an estimated 1,100 Hawaiian Electric Light Co. customers remained without power Wednesday in Nanawale Estates, Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots.

"Everyone thinks those albizia trees are garbage because they have so much water in them that they’re top heavy and it doesn’t take much for the wind to knock them over," Gomes said.

Some parts of albizia trees are so saturated that Gomes has been able to squeeze water out of their trunks. But other parts are hard and make good surfboards, cabinets and furniture, Gomes said.

He’s been making laser-etched bookmarks since 2009 and his best-sellers are made out of koa, which retail for about $10 each.

Gomes’ albizia bookmarks normally cost under $10. But Gomes decided to turn the scourge of Puna into a moneymaker by increasing the retail cost to $15 and donating half the proceeds to Aloha United Way for Puna relief efforts.

His best-selling bookmarks feature the Hawaiian Islands. But he’s also carved laser images of a hibiscus, turtles and dolphins.

The fast-growing, invasive albizia trees were imported in 1917 to help protect Hawaii’s declining forest watersheds. But Iselle sent untold numbers of albizia trees crashing through people’s homes and cars, across roads and into power lines, which left people without running water or electricity for weeks.

On Wednesday, HELCO said 99 percent of Hawaii island customers have power.

Tree-trimming crews and electrical line repair workers have been focusing on the hard-hit areas of three Puna subdivisions.

But HELCO warned that it could take "approximately another two weeks — and in some cases, even longer — to restore power to the areas with the most significant damage," adding, "actual restoration times for each location will depend on the extent of the damage."

On Wednesday, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency reported that 643 people who had visited Disaster Assistance and Recovery Centers suffered some form of Iselle-related damage, including power failures, debris and spoiled food.

And 260 people who went to a Disaster Assistance and Recovery Center reported damage to their homes.

Throughout Puna, people without ice, running water or electricity have aimed their anger and frustration directly at the albizia tree.

But Gomes is also trying to turn albizia trees into a way to help people recover.

"The tree has a really bad reputation," Gomes said. "If you live anywhere near one of these trees that fell, you get really upset."