‘It’s emotional’: Kauai house swept off foundation as storm surge ravages Poipu

POʻIPŪ (HawaiiNewsNow) — Hurricane Lowell battered Poʻipū, leaving it among the hardest-hit areas as the storm passed Kauaʻi late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

Read more Lowell downgraded to tropical storm as it moves away from Hawaii

Families in the coastal community say the area is completely unrecognizable after dangerous storm surge devastated the neighborhood.

Homes swamped by storm surge

Some of the most significant damage occurred on Hoona Road, where a large chunk of a residential roof was torn off and thrown to the ground.

Directly next door, a two-story home was completely swept off its foundation and shifted several feet away. The force of the surge left the home’s walls heavily slanted, and shoved cars and debris into the structure.

The home was a vacation rental property. Owner Steve Schneider said he and owners of neighboring vacation rentals are feeling the toll of the destruction.

“It’s taken a few swings by to absorb it all. You know we lost the house, but it’s given us a lot of really good memories so it’s, yeah, it’s emotional,” Schneider said.

On the other end of the road, some residents were spared from the worst of the damage.

Read more ‘I was shaking’: West Kauai residents ride out Hurricane Lowell, assess damage

Resident Nancy Silva Sutton said her garage was flooded, but she is thankful that the rest of her home remained virtually untouched.

“We are very lucky, us and my neighbors next door, our houses inside are virtually unscathed. The houses down the street, there’s actually a house in the street. As you can see, the water went into the garage and it exited,” Sutton said.

South shore businesses face heavy losses

Neighbors have already begun the grueling process of clearing debris and preparing to rebuild. However, local businesses on the south shore are also facing major losses.

“There’s no words. It’s devastating, not only for myself, but for this whole community. All of the businesses here, the resorts, the homes, people lost so much last night,” said Mindy Hibbitt, who owns RipTides Shave Ice Kauaʻi.

Hazardous weather conditions persist across the island, and officials are urging the public to avoid coastal locations and storm-damaged areas.

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