Volcano resident shares lessons from Lala ahead of Moke

VOLCANO, Hawaii Island (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island residents already reeling in the wake of Hurricane Lala are hunkering down as Moke approaches.

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Volcano resident and Sunrise producer Betsy Brown was among the many families who lost power and water for nearly a week after Lala. In Volcano, she says people are coming together to support those hardest hit and are much more prepared this time.

Brown said around 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, there were cloudy skies, no visible stars, light sprinkles and very light wind.

“Fifteen minutes later, it is starting to come down pretty hard, the rain,” Brown said. “I’m not seeing the trees moving much outside my window, but conditions are definitely starting to pick up now.”

Preparations from Lala carried over

Brown said her family prepared for Lala with cases of canned goods and can openers stored in her son’s closet, along with a battery generator and a case of water.

“We just made sure that generator was charged, that we did have the canned goods we wanted in there,” Brown said.

Brown said her seven-year-old son filled water bottles throughout the house before the storm.

“All those water bottles, we were able to drink water throughout the week with no power in our water pumping down,” Brown said. “So we didn’t even have to open that case of water for about four days.”

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Brown said some neighbors and her son’s classmates’ families also prepared, but others told her they did not have enough food. She said a distribution center provided water and meals for people who needed them, especially those who did not anticipate how long they would be without power.

“It’s hard to think that far ahead of how much food you’re gonna eat,” Brown said. She said she spoke with neighbors at a charging station in town, where she also charged her laptop for work.

Family refilled supplies when power returned

Brown said when power returned, her family immediately recharged their generator, filled the utility sink for flushing and filled buckets in case power goes out again.

Brown said as her family went without power for an extended period, people “did start to grumble a little bit,” but she said the overall attitude was gratitude for avoiding significant damage in Volcano, along with concern for neighbors in Kau district communities including Naalehu and Pahala.

Brown said residents in Volcano consider those communities neighbors, noting they visit a Thursday night market together and travel to Naalehu and Pahala for the beach, stores and coffee shops.

Brown said her advice for people is to stock up on supplies after a storm if they were not prepared.

“Canned goods last a while,” Brown said. “We like spam around here, but just hide it away in your closet so that it’s there when you need it.”

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