Tires were the main haul as about 200 volunteers cleared debris from the stream bed that caused flooding along Waianae’s Paakaea Road last January.

Officials from the federal, state and city governments set aside their disagreements about responsibility for the flooding to help lead the effort. Waianae Coast businesses, military personnel and high school groups, including 45 young men from the Youth Challenge Academy, also chipped in muscle and other resources.

"(Differences) have to be put aside if our ultimate concern is the betterment of the community," said state Rep. Karen Awana (D, Kalaeloa-Nanakuli), about the finger-pointing that existed previously.

The result of the collaboration: one 40-cubic-yard bin each of green waste, metal waste and construction waste; and four bins of tires.

So many tires were collected that much of the haul will need to be stored until cleanup organizers can determine how to dispose of them, said state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro (D, Nanakuli, Makaha).

"Tires are a major epidemic, especially back here where it’s kind of out of sight of the naked eye," she said.

A major reason is because people need to pay to legally dispose of tires, she said.

On the advice of community leader Mark Suiso, Shimabukuro said she will introduce legislation to have new tires treated like beverage containers by requiring a deposit that people can get back when they return them for recycling.

Awana said she has introduced legislation that would require those companies tasked with disposing of tires to obtain vouchers that can be redeemed only when they are sent to their final disposal point.

City Councilman Tom Berg said a resolution he authored requires Mayor Peter Carlisle to convene a task force to look at perennial flooding issues from Ewa to Waianae.

Meanwhile, area residents said they were grateful for the community help. Several older ladies had tears in their eyes when Youth Challenge students came marching military-style into the gathering area.

"When all of the rain started to come, it came so hard and so fast that we didn’t have time to prepare," said Katelin Manansala, who lives near Mikilua Grocery, where the volunteers gathered. She said 18 inches of water rushed into the home she shares with husband Byron.

A second cleanup is scheduled for Dec. 10 along Puuhulu Stream, which has also been prone to flooding.