By the Inside Outreach team · September 15, 2026We just got back from Kauaʻi last night. This is a long one, but it’s the full picture of what’s going on after Hurricane Lowell, how to get help and how to give it.
The North Shore
We made several trips out. We hung out with Gabby and the North Shore hub, and talked story with Honey and her family at Wainiha Country Market. Then we went out on the streets with Honey and started clearing driveways so people could get out of their houses.
It’s tricky. Power lines are down all over driveways and properties. You have to clear the trees without cutting a wire or a pole, and without touching anything the County needs.
Past Princeville it gets bad. Lines hang over the road. One of the bridges into Hanalei was down to one car at a time.
The west side
On the west side we connected with the hub there. It wasn’t as bad as the North Shore, but some homes got hit hard, including one crushed by a huge mango tree. We cut trees off the neighbor’s fence and helped him clear his yard.
A lot of the homes on our list already had insurance on the way. Honestly, a lot of the badly damaged ones are a demo. You can cut the tree off, but it’s a rebuild.
The ones without insurance
Then there’s Trent. He built his home himself, off the grid, down in a gulch. At two or three in the morning the water rose and the house started to move. He climbed onto the roof, then into a tree, then swam. Three to five hours in the dark.
Now his house sits on 10 to 15 feet of washed-up albizia trunks. No insurance. It needs a crane and somebody who can get the City or State out there.
If you don’t have insurance, please reach out to us. We can’t pay for a whole new house. But we can help, and we can connect you with people who might.
Report your damage
This is important. Report your damage to the County, even if it seems small. There are separate forms for homes, for businesses, farms and ranches, and for public hazards. FEMA can’t deploy without knowing how big the damage is. Early counts were around 500 homes.
What families need
Generators. Solar power stations. Fuel and gas cans. Wainiha Country Market was burning seven gallons a day just to keep food cold. Chainsaw gear. Tarps. Ice and coolers. Hot meals.
Please don’t send clothes. Money lets people buy exactly what’s needed, when it’s needed.
With CORE Response, Keep It Kapu and Mālama Kauaʻi, donations got sorted and money went straight to families. Aga sent a Starlink that can keep 200 people connected. Kauaʻi, you showed up.
Mahalo, Kauaʻi
We want to say this clearly. The people of Kauaʻi took care of each other before anybody from off island showed up. Neighbors with chainsaws. Restaurants feeding whole streets. Families sharing generators. We just came alongside.
Josue was on the ground for three weeks, between the Big Island and Kauaʻi. More than 20 verified Kauaʻi and Niʻihau families were listed so anyone could give to them directly.
Please share this with anyone on Kauaʻi who needs help or knows someone who does.
