‘Devastating’: Kauai Kupuna worry over next storm as they recover from Lowell

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Kauaʻi residents are bracing for the approaching Hurricane Nolo while still cleaning up damage and making repairs from Hurricane Lowell.

Read more Nearly 90-year-old Kailua athlete still dominates the softball diamond

Ever since the storm, rising river water from heavy rain has been blocked ʻAlaʻeke Road in Wainiha.

“High waters that we’re having now. We don’t know how long it’s going to be,” area resident Nancy Mae Chandler said.

With the road impassable, Chandler and her husband, Moku Chandler, have not been able to see their now-ruined home since Lowell. They have not been back to the property since they evacuated the morning of the storm.

“The river was already high,” Nancy Mae recalled. “Luckily, we got the four-wheel drive and got out.”

Grateful to have gotten out in time, the couple wants to return once the river recedes to assess the damages themselves, but the trauma of losing the house has also been an emotional barrier for them.

The Chandlers have only seen pictures of the destruction from others who have gone to the property for them.

Read more FilCom Center to host 2026 Bayanihan Gala celebrating Filipino heritage, community support

“It’s just devastating waking up in the morning, and looking what happened,” Nancy Mae said.

Moku added, “It’s a rough thing to lose your home. It’s devastating to lose a home for anyone. Not having a home is very difficult, very, very difficult. It’s hard to explain until you lose your own.”

As they navigate the loss, the couple is also worried about the impending storm, after seeing the conditions Lowell sent their way.

“It was so unbelievable, because the wind, the rain,” Nancy Mae said. “This whole experience of this storm was just scary. So scary that I prayed the whole night.

After experiencing Lowell, the pair is also praying the next storm will not lead to further damage to their community as they recover from Lowell.

If you would like to help the Chandlers rebuild, here is a link to their GoFundMe page.

Read more Cohen Clinic launches ‘Ask Anyway’ campaign to empower life-saving conversations on suicide