Invasive tree is declared the enemy after storm

PAHOA » Forget Tropical Storm Iselle.

The people of Hawaii island’s storm-ravaged Puna district have since singularly focused their anger on the forests of fast-growing and foreign albizia trees that fell like giant pick-up sticks on their homes and across power lines, keeping them in the dark and without water since Iselle blew through the Big Island five days ago.

"Those albizia trees," said Caro­line Weber, whose refrigerated food has since gone bad after albizia trees knocked out power to her three-bedroom, two-bath house in Hawaiian Shores. "My house is fine, but all the lines are down because of those trees."

Across the vast Puna landscape, where helpful neighbors and professional crews continue to cut through tons of fallen albizia trees following Iselle, blaming the forests of invading albizia has provided an outlet for thirsty and frustrated residents to vent their anger at not having normal essentials such as electricity and running water.

Hawaii Electric Light Co. barged over trucks and equipment from Oahu and flew in repair crews from as far away as Southern Cali­for­nia. But HELCO had no immediate estimate of how many Puna residents remained without power Monday night.

Electricity even remained out at the Hawaiian Shores Recreational Estates Community Center, where hundreds of Puna residents converged Monday to gather armfuls of bottled water and bags of ice while supplies lasted for a couple of all-too-brief hours.

HELCO employees also fired up a gas-powered generator at the community center so dozens of people could recharge their cellphones, tablets, laptops and even a nebulizer for one woman with breathing problems who found 30 minutes of relief, said HELCO employee Gerald Santiago, who was manning the recharging station.

Dawn Hurwitz of Hawaiian Shores pulled her iPhone 5 off the makeshift charging station Monday and declared, "I’m at 100 percent for the first time in a week."

Red Cross volunteers Tuesday also planned to distribute meals, batteries, water, work gloves, trash bags and tarps at the Pahoa Community Center parking lot from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and at the Puna Covenant Church from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Supplies, while they last, were also being offered at community centers in Hawaiian Shores, Nana­wale, Lei­lani Estates, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Connection Point Church and Mountain View Gym, although the exact hours for Tuesday were uncertain.

The Pahoa Pool and Community Center also was open for people to take showers and recharge cellphones.

Hawaii National Guard troops, meanwhile, went door to door to make sure no one was seriously injured and to provide food and water.

Troops in uniform also patrolled the streets of Puna, but there have been no reports of looting, said Hawaii County spokes­man Kevin Dayton.

Officials are also evaluating whether the criteria for a federal disaster declaration have been met, which would clear the way for Gov. Neil Abercrombie to request federal assistance.

But such a declaration seemed far away to the people of Puna on Monday as they continued to navigate around giant, fallen albizia trees and downed power lines just to get to simple essentials such as a bag of ice and a bottle of water.

Hurwitz expected to return home from recharging her iPhone at the Hawaiian Shores Recreational Estates Community Center only to have to dump hundreds of dollars’ worth of spoiled organic food from her powerless refrigerator and freezer.

But Hurwitz knew where to point for Puna’s plight.

"It’s the albizia trees," she said. "This is a war."