The worst flooding to hit Hawaii in two decades has rocked homes from their foundations, littered beaches with debris, and covered entire neighborhoods in a thick, volcanic mud.
Local residents are desperate for relief, but they aren’t waiting on the government to provide it.
Although no deaths have been reported, hundreds of people across Oahu and Maui have been rescued from their now-destroyed homes, and the National Weather Service now has The Big Island under flash flood watches.
Governor Josh Green has formally asked the Trump administration to deploy federal disaster aid assistance, and he estimates the cost of the storm could top $1 billion in damages.
“The scale of damage we are seeing — from washed-out highways to overwhelmed water systems — makes clear that federal partnership is essential,” Green said in a statement. “We are doing everything we can at the state and county level, but this is exactly the type of event where FEMA support is critical.”
In the meantime, everyday people are stepping in to help evacuate their neighbors, save animals, and even begin recovery efforts as best they can.
One example is the folks at One Ocean Diving, a popular shark diving destination in Oahu. They have been conducting beach cleanups with fellow diving company Hawaii Eco Divers, as locals congregate to get rid of trash and debris that has washed up on the island’s shores.
Just yesterday, volunteers took to Kaiaka Bay, which teams at One Ocean Diving said “looks so much better” already.
“We got hit so hard by this. People lost everything,” Sky Petrilla of One Ocean Diving told KOHN News. “It’s really heartwarming to see everyone come together.”
The team at One Ocean Diving had been working in surrounding neighborhoods to help residents clean up debris around their homes before they moved over to the beach.
In homes, volunteers are ripping up drywall and removing any safety hazards to prevent mold growth and keep people safe. One leader in these efforts is J4 Removal, a professional decluttering service that is providing its labor to anyone who needs it.
In a video showing catastrophic damage to homes, with muddy furniture piled high, the J4 team writes: “When the government won’t care for our people, we the people will take care of each other! Hawai’i forever.”
“Hawai’i will always continue to stand together, and that’s just what makes us who WE are as a people and culture, that nowhere in the world can take from us,” the caption of the video continues.
“Being in this field of work, we’re exposed to this type of environment, but most people aren’t. So all we can do is be there for one another in our time of need. It’s painful to see people lose everything, but together we can rebuild.”
Part of that rebuilding includes taking care of the natural environment surrounding these communities and ensuring that waste does not further pollute the waters.
“Kahana Bay is incredibly beautiful, but it’s also prone to a buildup of microplastics, especially after the recent storms,” One Ocean Diving shared in a recent social media post about another local spot. “These small pieces can have a huge impact on marine life. Let’s come together, give back, and protect the ocean that gives us so much. Every piece we pick up makes a difference.”
But the work is difficult, and according to KOHN, some volunteers are getting sick.
“With the cleanup, some people might be exposed to mold, so that might bring up some respiratory concerns,” Dr. Jill Omori, director of the office of medical education at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, told KOHN. “We worry about leptospirosis.”
Fortunately, volunteers from the medical school have also been standing by at cleanup events to treat anyone who may be in need of medical care — free of charge.
While leaders make it clear that federal assistance would provide vital support to these efforts, locals don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” One Ocean Diving shared on social media. “Any day you can, please come down here to lend a helping hand to a family impacted by these floods.”
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Header images courtesy of One Ocean Diving/Instagram
