Koloa volunteers work to rebuild Prince Kuhio Park after Hurricane Lowell

KOLOA, Hawaii — Volunteers on Kauaʻi are working to restore Prince Kūhiō Park at Hoʻai Bay in Kōloa after storm surge from Hurricane Lowell ravaged the historic birthplace of Prince Kūhiō.

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Lowell is the third major storm to damage the site, following Hurricane ʻIwa in 1982 and Hurricane ʻIniki in 1992.

Storm surge damages centuries-old walls

Storm surge from Lowell bulldozed Kauaʻi’s south shore and left the park in ruins.

Rock walls dating back to the 15th century were demolished. A rock shrine was toppled, and a plaque attached to a one-ton boulder commemorating the park was knocked over.

Caretaker Chad Schimmelfennig, who is dedicated to restoring the park, described the power of the waves pulling down heavy rocks. He said one section of wall that stood about 4 feet high was destroyed.

“It’s sad to see. It’s painful, but now okay. We consider it a cleansing and we can rebuild,” Schimmelfennig said.

Before Lowell, the park was blanketed with green grass and bougainvillea. The storm brought in rocks, dirt, large chunks of asphalt, boulders and large coral heads.

Volunteer crews have removed most of the waste from the park, but green waste, trees, household debris and boards still need to be removed from a large pond.

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Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana’ole Pi’ikoi and his legacy as a champion for Native Hawaiian rights and culture.

The property is owned and maintained by the Royal Order of Kamehameha, Chapter 3, Kaumuali’i.

The park’s cultural sites were damage during Hurricane Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992. Through nonprofit www.nakahu.org and a GoFundMe hope to rebuild walls and need the community’s help at future events.

“We have a lot more walls to be built so we are going to take things slow and create more community work days to actually educate and have the community be a part of the restoration so that it’s the community that is going to rebuild this place,” he said.

As for that beloved statue, it was unscathed after all.

“My initial reaction when people told me this. It was there is no way that statue is moving,” said Schimmelfennig.

It stands as a symbol of strength through repeated storms and a call to the community that preserving the past is part of the path forward.

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To help: www.gofundme.com/f/restore-prince-kuhio-park-after-hurricane-lowell