Professional surfer and Kauai resident Laird Hamilton, who was assisting the state with cleanup efforts, said in a video released by the state Thursday that he had been helping to coordinate barge landings.
“In the beginning it was getting the people who needed to get out, out,” he said in the news release. “Now we’re trying to bring people and supplies in so they can start clearing the roads so we can create vehicular access.”
Still, the Kauai community remains resilient.
“Kauai has experienced tsunamis, hurricanes and floods,” said Hamilton. “The land and its people are very resilient, and we will recover from this.”
“This is part of what we do out here. This is who we are,” he said. “When you see the way this community works together, no one does it better. Ohana. It’s all about family. Put your differences aside. Let’s make it good for everybody.”
2 major Kauai parks close due to damage
Two major state parks on Kauai — Haena State Park and Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, which includes the popular Kalalau Trail — are closed due to flood damage and will remain closed indefinitely, according to state officials.
The only way in and out of both parks is via Kuhio Highway, which remains closed due to multiple landslides following the record-breaking rainstorms that pounded Kauai’s north shore last weekend. The closures will likely be for an extended period of time, said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, for assessments and repairs.
Polihale State Park remains closed for repairs to the flooded entry road.
Kauai residents advised not to drink tap water
The Kauai Department of Water completed repairs on a damaged main line in Haena on Thursday but advised area residents not to drink or cook with tap water until further notice.
The advisory was directed at residents along a portion of Kuhio Highway between Manoa and Limahuli streams.
Residents were warned that damage to the main line and possible exposure of service lines could result in air or sediment in the water, causing the water to appear white or discolored.
“This is normal and if it occurs customers may flush water out through an outside hose bib until the water is clear,” the department stated in a public notice.
A trailer-mounted water tank with drinkable water is still available at the YMCA’s Camp Naue, 7420 Kuhio Highway in Hanalei.
Red Cross donations
The Red Cross has been providing assistance to disaster victims. If you’d like to donate to the Red Cross, you can send a contribution to redcross.org/hawaii or mail a check to American Red Cross of Hawaii, 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI 96816.
