Kauai couple brings newborn home amid Hurricane Lowell recovery

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Kauai family welcomed a new baby while still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell.

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Keʻale and Haylee Chung welcomed their second child, Harper Jade, on Sept. 14, one week after the storm devastated parts of the island.

The family lives in Kilauea on Kauai’s North Shore, where their backyard shed and playground were damaged and downed trees and power lines surrounded the area.

“Papa’s been calling her hurricane baby,” Haylee Chung said. “So that’s her little nickname, I guess. She’s so peaceful.”

Around 3:30 a.m. the morning of the delivery, the couple drove about an hour and a half to Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea.

They even brought a chainsaw with them in case downed trees blocked the roads.

The couple made it to the hospital safely, but returning home brought another challenge.

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“I wanted to stay in the hospital for like a week because I knew coming home we weren’t going to have any power,” Haylee said. “And then came back home to a blackout and no running water.”

Keʻale Chung said the lack of running water was one of the toughest parts of those first days back home.

“The power stuff we can deal with,” he said. “Not having water, being able to kind of rinse off, clean stuff, do stuff. Probably the biggest hurdle.”

The family has since had power restored, and their water service has stabilized.

They said they are especially grateful for relatives and friends who helped them recover while they adjusted to life with a newborn.

“I have such a great village behind us,” Haylee said. “They came in and they cleaned my whole house.”

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