Kauai residents, business assess destruction after Hurricane Lowell batters south shore

POʻIPŪ, Kauaʻi (HawaiiNewsNow) – On Kauaʻi’s south shore, residents in Poʻipū are picking up the pieces after losing their homes and businesses to Hurricane Lowell.

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Michael Botello and his family piled damaged belongings outside their beachfront home on Hoʻona Road Tuesday, one day after storm surge flooded their property.

“I never thought it would be this bad… to make this kind of devastation,” Botello said. “Blew out all the front windows, water all through the downstairs, the upstairs stayed untouched.”

Botello recalled hunkering down at home Monday, watching the surf build before deciding to evacuate around 9 p.m.

“When the water started coming over the seawall, that was our sign,” Botello said. “I’m glad everybody’s safe, right, that’s the most important part, we all made it out alive and that’s the most important part. These are all pieces, we’ll pick them up and put them back together.”

Other oceanfront homes along Lāwaʻi Road, roughly five minutes from Botello’s residence, also sustained extensive damage.

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Guests at a seaside vacation rental chose to shelter in place on the second floor after floodwaters inundated the first level.

Shave ice shack displaced by surf

Less than a quarter-mile away, powerful surge shoved Riptides Shave Ice into an adjacent pond.

“The shack was known as the biggest little surf shack on the beach. We’re the only ones down here, so if you’re down here on the beach, cruising, this is where you go, Riptides,” owner Mindy Hibbitt said.

Hibbitt said concern for her eight employees is driving her commitment to reopen.

“I feel very responsible to put food on their tables and hopefully we can get up and running real soon,” Hibbitt said. “I mean, we’ll definitely have to rebuild, and hopefully that won’t take too long.”

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Both Botello and Hibbitt have insurance coverage.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help rebuild Riptides Shave Ice.