Synopsis: People who build their houses by the sea should be prepared for possible disaster. It’s just a matter of time before some sort of act of nature occurs. Should the rest of us be required to pay for someone else’s gamble? I don’t think so.

Aloha mai nō kākou e nā hoa heluhelu. I ka pule nei, ua pā mai kekahi makani pāhili nui ikaika ma nā moku’āina hikina o ‘Amelika Hui Pū ‘Ia. Ua kapa ‘ia kona inoa ‘o Irene a nāna nō i luku nā kūlanakauhale a me nā mea like ‘ole i kūkulu ‘ia ma nā kua’āina o ia mau kaha. Eia ka mea ‘āpiki, ‘o nā wāhine i kapa ‘ia ma ia inoa ‘o Irene, e ho’okae ‘ia ana paha ma kēia hope aku.

He nui hewahewa ka pohō i ‘ike ‘ia ma nā kapakai, kahi i pā mai ai ka makani a me nā nalu me ka ‘ulupā ‘ino ‘ana mai i nā mea a pau e kū ana i mua ona. ‘O ka mea na’e e kau nui ai ka no’ono’o, ‘o ia ho’i ka nui o ka pohō i ‘ike ‘ia ma muli o ka hālanalana mai o ka wai. Aia ka pohō ma nā kapa muliwai ma uka loa o ka ‘āina. ‘O nā hale ma ia wahi, kohu mea lā, he pūmai’a wale nō e hina ana i ka makani.

No’u iho, he mea weliweli loa ke nānā a’e i ka nūhou. Mea ‘ole ka ikaika o nā hale ke pi’i ka wai o nā muliwai. ‘O kekahi mau hale, ua lawe loa ‘ia aku i kahi ‘ē, a ‘o kekahi, ua piha i ka wai a me ka lepo a pohō nā pono a pau o loko. Ma ka nānā aku i ka luku ‘ia ‘ana o kēlā ‘āina, no’ono’o a’ela au i nā makani pāhili o ka Pākīpika nei a me nā ōla’i nō ho’i nāna e hō’eu’eu mai i nā kai ho’ē’e. Ua laki nō ke kū ‘ana o ko’u hale ma uka, kahi e hiki ‘ole ai ka wai halana o nā kahawai a i ‘ole ke kai ho’ē’e.

Pehea lā na’e ka po’e e noho ana ma kahakai? I ka wā kahiko, he hale pili wale nō ke lawe ‘ia aku e ke kai ho’ē’e. He pilikia nō ia, akā, ua hikiwawe paha ke kūkulu hou ‘ana. I kēia mau lā na’e, ‘o ka nui o ka po’e e ‘i’ini nei e noho ma kahakai, ua hele a pipi’i maoli ke kumukū’ai o nā ‘āpana ‘āina. A no ia mea ho’i, kūkulu ‘ia he kākele a haleali’i paha ma kahakai, a i ‘ole ia, ‘o ka hale ki’enao’a ke kūkulu ‘ia. Hele a lē’ī ‘o Kohala i ka nu’a nā kānaka. Ke pā mai kahi makani pāhili, nui loa ka pohō.

Ia’u e nānā ana i ke kūkala nūhou, ua kū mai ‘o Ron Paul, kekahi o nā moho e holo pāloka nei no ke kūlana Pelekikena o ‘Amelika. Ho’ohalahala ‘o ia iā FEMA no ka ho’olawehala ‘ana i kēia pilikia ma o ke kū’ai ‘inikua i ka po’e nāna e kūkulu i ko lākou hale ma nā kapakai a me nā kapa muliwai. I ka wā e pilikia ai ka hale o ia po’e, na FEMA nō lākou e ho’opakele. ‘Ōlelo maila ua ‘o Paul, inā e koho kēlā po’e e kūkulu i ko lākou hale ma ia mau wahi, na lākou e uku i nā pohō ke kupu mai kahi pilikia.

Mali’a o mana’o mai kahi mea heluhelu ē he keu kēlā a ke aloha ‘ole. Ma kekahi ‘ano na’e, ua pololei ‘o ia ala. ‘A’ole na ke aupuni ia e ho’opakele i kēlā po’e no ke koho ‘ana i kēlā mau wahi. E kū’ai ‘ia ka ‘inikua kū’oko’a i mālama ‘ia ke kālā a ke aupuni no ka pono o kākou a pau. Ua ‘ano mākonā paha kona mana’o, eia na’e, ua pololei. ‘A’ohe wahi ‘ano o ka hewa. 

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

» kwong@hawaii.edu
» rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

» 956-2627 (Laiana)
» 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.