West Oahu residents recover after Hurricane Lowell waves inundate condominium

MĀKAHA (HawaiiNewsNow) – In West Oʻahu, Farrington Highway was closed between Māʻili and Nānākuli while state crews worked to clear sand and debris off the roadway from Hurricane Lowell’s high surf.

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Traffic was diverted to Paʻakea Road, causing heavy congestion for commuters around Hakimo Road, where Mākaha residents were cleaning up after storm surges flooded their homes and tossed sand, coral, and boulders onto properties.

About 300 people live at the Mākaha Beach Cabanas, and management reports that residents are safe following the storm. However, the property sustained significant damage to first-floor lanais, with debris hitting windows and the building.

Nick Stellato, site manager at Mākaha Beach Cabanas, said Tuesday was focused entirely on cleanup, and luckily, no injuries were reported.

“There are boards in front of the units and that’s designed to kind of catch the occasional big wave that comes up, but we saw 22 ft waves, big enough to knock out our security cameras,” he said.

Stellato said that at least three or four units were completely devastated and a couple where snignificantly damaged.

“Our B side building, the roof is completely devasted and we lost the reamining exhaust fans that we had up there, but we secured the debris.”

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Stellato added that they lost power and are being supplemented by generators.

“Our battery systems only last another couple of hours, but we do have Wi Fi and the ability to charge their phones and TV and things for the moment,” he said.

Mākaha Beach Cabanas resident Ryan Winslow expressed relief that he was safe, but noted the experience was terrifying.

“So I count myself lucky, but I do have now an indoor swimming pool. It must have been really scary. It was terrifying, actually. I had never been through a hurricane before from California. I moved about 10 years ago, so it was very loud and pretty scary, and the dog weathered it better than I did,” he said.

Winslow added that he has already lost all of the food in his freezer and plans to invest in a backup generator.

“I’ve just already lost everything in the freezer,” he said.

Residents are cleaning up and assessing tens of thousands of dollars in damages, noting that the storm offered valuable lessons on how to prepare for future severe weather.

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