North Shore NewsBy: Kezia Burgoyne
The night of Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the North Shore flooded. Massive rainfall flowed from the mountains, changing peaceful rivers into rolling rapids, filling homes and businesses with muddy water. The community response to this devastating natural disaster was immediate and heartfelt evidence of the North Shore’s grit, compassion, resilience, and generosity.
The morning immediately after the flood, the local community sprang into action. Donation centers sprung up and volunteers donned their rain boots and gloves, eager to help with clean up. Hundreds of people from Waialua to Kailua came together in this heroic effort. Food, clothes, tools, cleaning supplies, appliances, furniture, and even children’s toys piled up in donation centers — all given by generous members of this community. A website was launched to coordinate the effort.
Volunteers from the North Shore, across ‘Oahu, and even tourists, delivered supplies to victims’ homes, cleaned mud, and comforted those in need. Restaurants and water companies donated meals for volunteers and flood victims; an invaluable service that kept flood relief efforts upbeat and spirited. Organizations and military units came forth to help — working like machines as they loaded and carried debris to the dump. Caring volunteers drove from home to home, delivering meals, water, and even boxes of snow puffies to those in need. In the weeks to follow, hot meals were brought to affected households, and coordinating the delivery of larger donations such as appliances, furniture, and shelving continued online.
Volunteer, Terrie Stohl, reflected on the experience. “It was one of the most amazing experiences . . . to see how everybody came together to give so much in such a little time . . . we were able to fill almost everybody’s needs.” Stohl observed, “The feeling for me was unbelievable; I think it’s something I will never forget . . . This community came together for their community, like none I’ve ever seen before.”
Inga Macatiag, whose house was flooded, reflected on her experience. “It was a terrible thing to have to go through, but we’re so lucky we have this community support.” She remarked, “Volunteers just kept on coming and saying, ‘What can we do to help?’ and . . . it was just really, really awesome. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped and all the churches and organizations for being there for us. We really appreciate it.”
Miracle after miracle took place as volunteers and equipment appeared exactly when needed. Volunteer Nate Burgoyne said, “We had to move a huge number of donations from one site to another. I asked Kerilyn Pollock if she had any ideas. She told me not to worry because ‘something will turn up; it’s been happening all day.’ Sure enough, 10 minutes later a crew of military volunteers pulled up with a box truck asking how to help.”
This experience has been a testament to the strength of the North Shore community. Because of the resilience, generosity, and Spirit of Aloha that resides in the hearts of this community, we are a people that will be ready and prepared for any disaster that comes our way. To read more stories from both volunteers and affected households, visit www. haleiwafloodrelief.com.