By Lisa Dahm
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The back-to-back Kona low storms that struck Hawaii last month affected almost all areas of the Diocese of Honolulu, bringing devastation and loss to many people — some in a matter of minutes. Yet the physical and mental pain the storms delivered were matched by quiet heroes who took control and helped save lives and property.
Through the weekslong inundation — which hit hardest the second weekend of March and delivered more bad weather a week later — several Catholic groups organized quickly with courage and strength that came from years of prayer and strong community bonds. Their agility allowed them to identify various needs and appropriate responses before they were even asked to help.
According to county, state and federal agencies, the storms dumped dozens of inches of rain across the Hawaiian islands — resulting in severe flooding and mudslides — and brought wind gusts topping 100 mph in some areas.
First responders rescued more than 200 people from severe weather conditions, though no fatalities were reported.
Hundreds of homes were damaged, more than 100,000 residents lost power and farmers experienced extensive agricultural losses.
Oahu’s North Shore
Joshua Kapika is the parish pastoral assistant at St. Michael Church in Waialua and is a third-generation resident of the town. He said the two consecutive storms did the most damage to his community.
The second caused significant flooding, affecting six parish families — one lost their home entirely.
“Because the second Kona low came during the evening, it made it harder to see what was happening around, and so many families in Waialua were caught in the middle of the night evacuating,” Kapika said.
St. Michael’s mission church, Sts. Peter and Paul in Haleiwa, suffered flood damage to its two halls, but community members immediately helped restore it.
Alberto Morales Jr., a member of Knights of Columbus Council 16741 based at St. Michael, sent out a text alert at 4:30 a.m., mobilizing his brother knights.
The call for help quickly expanded to four additional councils, and the Knights of Columbus responded statewide within 48 hours of the disaster. More than 300 knights assisted throughout the diocese.
The main Knights of Columbus, headquartered in Connecticut, also donated gift cards and made initial monetary donations of more than $45,000 to assist the local knights in their work.
“One of the things that we learned was the first day we exchanged business cards is not the day of the disaster,” Morales said. “These are relationships that we have built throughout the year with our community.”
St. Michael School resumed operations for its kindergarten through eighth-grade student population after a day off. Kapika said some of the school’s families were affected, and that opening the campus offered parents a safe location for their children so they could work on recovery efforts.
EPIC Ministry, one of the largest young adult groups in the diocese, swiftly issued a call to action in the wake of the storms, asking for help with flood relief and recovery efforts.
EPIC’s president, Dallas Carter, said the lay association has already assisted numerous families in the area as well as in Kaneohe.
“We’ve helped many families with supplies and helped families clean out their homes from the flood devastation,” said Carter, who teaches at St. Michael School. “We have more houses on the list.”
St. Michael Church will continue to host a recovery hub on its property to store and distribute cleaning supplies and coordinate volunteer cleanup efforts until community needs are met.
“It was just beautiful, seeing people working together, and it was sad at the same time,” Morales said. “It was the darkness, and then it resurrected a new community, an altruism that maybe was not there before. Very symbolic of Holy Week.”
To contribute to EPIC Ministry’s efforts, visit www.epicministry.net/flood-relief.html.
Other affected areas
When the flooding began, Father Nicholas Brown, pastor of St. Pius X Church in Manoa, was in the parish hall with a few parishioners.
“We turned around and saw a river coming down the side of the hall,” Father Brown said. “Because our area was on the low point, the back was just like a swimming pool.”
He said green rubbish cans from the neighborhood floated down the street, ending in the church parking lot with their contents emptying onto the grounds.
The parish gas tank dislodged and floated through the property. The rectory bathroom and the basement of a rental property also flooded.
That weekend, a parishioner and her children, who attend Damien Memorial School, helped to clean up the parking lot, removing two truckloads of garbage.
“That was a big help,” Father Brown said.
In Kihei, Maui, St. Theresa Church experienced significant flooding after the first Kona low storm, according to pastor Father William Kunisch. Some parishioners experienced major flooding in their homes.
“Our back parking lot was underwater for about a week, and the intersection of South Kihei Road and Lipoa Street near the church was also flooded,” Father Kunisch said in an email. “There were some leaks around the skylights and windows in the church, but fortunately, no major damage.”
The Red Cross opened a shelter at the Kihei Community Center, and the parish’s Hale Kau Kau ministry provided meals for those seeking shelter.
“Our Hale Kau Kau ministry has been feeding the hungry in Kihei for 35 years, and our kitchen staff and volunteers didn’t hesitate a minute to reach out and support the Red Cross emergency shelter,” Father Kunisch said. “I’m very proud of them for their ability to jump into action to meet the needs of our neighbors.”
Groups pitch in
Catholic Charities Hawaii has more than 10 team members covering shifts to meet with residents and enroll them for future services, according to president and CEO Tina Andrade. The nonprofit organization has also placed 19 families in vacation rental units as temporary shelter.
Since Catholic Charities Hawaii is already embedded in communities as a resource hub, it has been able to meet people where they are, Andrade said.
“We are advocating for them, because recovery is long,” she said. “When you lose everything, it takes a lot to rebuild and recover from that loss — financially, emotionally, and in some cases socially because they have to relocate from a community that sustains them. Some of the residents lost both home and farms, which means they have lost sustenance for the future.”
Andrade said that Catholic Charities Hawaii also experienced loss: A staff member was among those who lost everything. The agency’s Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center in Honolulu also sustained damage that will cost more than $20,000 to repair, though its staff members are still helping those in need.
For more information on how to donate to Catholic Charities Hawaii’s storm recovery efforts, go to www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/stormrecovery.
The Knights of Peter Claver and its Ladies Auxiliary — Unit 419, headed by Grand Knight Deacon Ray Lamb and Grand Lady Tyra Lamb at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu — is organizing a parish-based flood relief effort to collect and distribute essential items such as canned food, toiletries, towels, blankets and pillows.
The group has set up donation boxes at the church and plans to expand its collection sites.
“Although we are a new Catholic fraternal organization here in Hawaii, the Knights and Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Peter Claver Unit 419 are living out our charism of meeting the needs of those in our community most in need,” said Deacon Lamb.
In Kaimuki, Sacred Hearts Academy and Moolelo Studios co-sponsored a special community dinner March 25 at the school’s campus to help those affected by the storms.
“At Sacred Hearts Academy, our mission calls us to serve, especially when our community is hurting,” said Brandy Ann Sato, president of Sacred Hearts Academy. “As a long-standing member of the Kaimuki community, we are committed to showing up in moments like these—offering not only a meal, but a space of care and hope.”
Joyce Perreira of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies’ Auxiliary contributed reporting.
At top: Above, a screenshot from a video provided by St. Pius X Church pastor Father Nicholas Brown shows the torrent that struck the parish’s Manoa neighborhood as the second Kona low storm inundated the state. (Courtesy Father Nicholas Brown) Below, the cleanup effort in Waialua was a damp and muddy affair. (Courtesy Dallas Carter)