Hawaii National Guard assists with Kauai County emergency response after Hurricane Lowell

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaiʻi National Guard is conducting aerial and ground damage assessments across Kauaʻi following Hurricane Lowell.

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The Guard is working with Kauaʻi County to clear debris from roads and route emergency resources to the hardest-hit areas in an effort to assist power restoration and recovery operations.

“We have our chainsaw teams in support of the counties to go and clear the roads so that electrical folks can get to the power lines and restore energy and power,” Brig. Gen. Damon Hogsten said.

Before Lowell passed near the state, Hogsten said they prepositioned personnel and resources for life-saving activities. Now, the aerial and ground assessments help county officials identify priority areas to divert those resources in a timely manner.

Currently, the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative said Thursday that it restored an additional 12,000 customers over the past 24 hours in portions of Anahola, Kapa‘a, Wailua, Līhu‘e, and Po‘ipū. Approximately 66% of KUIC’s members’ power has been restored.

The Guard also sent over six high-water vehicles to help with storm recovery and debris removal, with accessibility being one of the biggest problems across the island.

“Debris removal is a big piece of this: clearing roadways so power engineers can restore electricity and we can get resources like food and water to communities in need,” Hogsten said.

On Thursday, civil engineers from the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard helped establish backup power to a dialysis center.

The Guard also transported nine dialysis patients and three caregivers in a Chinook helicopter to Oʻahu at Kalaeloa Airport.

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Lala recovery efforts continue

Along with assisting with recovery efforts from Lowell, the most recent hurricane to graze the state, the Guard is still supporting communities hit by Hurricane Lala nearly a month ago. Lala brought heavy rain and severe flooding to Hawaiʻi Island before moving up the island chain as a tropical storm.

Hogsten said the Guard is also assisting in recovery efforts at the Nāʻālehu Cemetery, where rocks, trees, and mountains of mud have made the road impassable. Also scattered among the debris: headstones, a casket, and remains of those once buried at the cemetery.

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“We are also part of the recovery effort at the cemetery assisting with debris removal, and that mission remains ongoing,” Hogsten said.

Resilience in the face of multiple weather events

After responding to multiple severe weather events throughout the year, Hogsten said the response reflects the Guard’s motto, “Always Ready, Always There.”

“It really speaks to the tremendous professionalism of our soldiers and airmen in the Hawaiʻi National Guard,” he said. “We live it every single day. This is an opportunity for me to personally thank them for their sacrifice and service to our state and communities.”

Hogsten also thanked the families and civilian employers of Guard members for their support, which allows personnel to step away from their regular jobs to serve communities in need.

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