A new book details how Kaua’i has been pummeled by four powerful hurricanes in the past 50 years, and what to do to protect yourself and your home in advance of any future hurricanes. Each successive hurricane has increased in
A new book details how Kaua’i has been pummeled by four powerful hurricanes in the past 50 years, and what to do to protect yourself and your home in advance of any future hurricanes. Each successive hurricane has increased in intensity. These hurricanes have affected Kaua’i’s economy, its people, and the future of the island. In Tales of the Tempests, The Hurricanes of Kauai, local author Sheila Heathcote Arthur provides an account of how the island has attempted to cope with these dangerous natural phenomena.
In an interview, the author explained the story behind her new book.
“I wrote a book about hurricanes and Kaua’i because of the incredible impact ‘Iniki had on me, and how little it concerned residents of other Hawaiian Islands. At the time of ‘Iniki, and a few years prior to ‘Iniki, I was living on Maui. I had worked as a traveling nurse (in addition to my regular job as an ICU nurse at Maui Memorial Hospital) and had taken some temporary assignments on Kaua’i at KVMH.
“The day ‘Iniki hit, I was scheduled to fly to O’ahu for the Diamond Head Wahine – all women’s windsurfing contest, which I was to commentate for ESPN. A friend and lady sailor called me just as I was leaving for the airport and told me that I wasn’t going anywhere – the airport was closed! I turned on the TV in time to see Gov. Waihe’e and other City and County of Honolulu officials popping the cork of a bottle of champagne in celebration of the fact that O’ahu would be missed, but that the hurricane was heading straight for Kaua’i.
“Because I had worked on Kaua’i and had gone sight-seeing and camping all over the island, I was shocked and saddened to see that this beautiful island was going to get hit. I promptly volunteered to come to Kaua’i and pitch in for the Red Cross and Salvation Army. It wasn’t until a month or so later that I was able to come to Kaua’i (to do nursing work at KVMH), and I saw the full impact of the devastation.
“People on Maui had no idea how bad things were on Kaua’i. So, it became a personal crusade to collect hurricane stories about Iniki from my patients and from other people on the island. Rita DeSilva, the editor of the Garden Island at the time, gave me a list of key community leaders and representatives of each of Kaua’i’s distinct areas, and I went to work with my camera and tape recorder.
“While on duty at KVMH, Keith Robinson paid a friendly visit to the ER and chatted with me about ‘Iniki. One thing led to another and soon he was telling me about his harrowing experience aboard his fishing boat, the Lehua, during ‘Iwa. He also told me about Hurricanes Nina and Dot. As I gathered Iniki stories, I was certain to ask people (especially the old timers) about their experiences in hurricanes prior to Iniki. Coupled with some extensive research, and digging through old newspapers at the Lihu’e branch of the public library, I found heaps of information about hurricanes, gales, and winter storms dating back to the time of Capt. Cook!
“I began taking notes and compiled all of my findings into what is now Tales of the Tempests, The Hurricanes of Kaua’i.
One person who was instrumental in assisting me with information was Hans Rosendal, a lead forecaster for the National Weather service Office in Honolulu. He was on duty when Iniki struck Kaua’i, and he helped me every step of the way in obtaining official documentation maps, graphs, charts and other weather-related information for the book. From his material I had the challenging task of making the scientific information palatable for the lay person. In other words, I had to write about hurricanes in a way that the general reading public could understand.
“Since I was like a sponge, wanting to absorb every iota of information about hurricanes that I possibly could, I went to work, simplifying the scientific material for the book.
“Another reason I wrote about hurricanes and Kaua’i was because I was so drawn to, and mesmerized by, the people on this island. I had never been anywhere on the planet where people were so friendly, accommodating, and pleasant. How sad that a hurricane would strike such a beautiful and congenial population! Hurricane Andrew had recently struck Miami, and there were horror stories about relief workers being robbed and shot at. Here on Kaua’i, people were refusing government aid and hand outs, preferring to get the work done themselves and pitching in to help their neighbors without even being asked.
“So, writing about hurricanes and Kaua’i gave me the opportunity to learn about the island’s history, cultural diversity, religious beliefs and a multitude of other interesting subjects. Researching the book was sheer delight, and a lot of hard work! I learned so much and met so many incredible people along the way.
“I began writing the book in October 1992. I finished gathering all the material that would become the book by about 1995. I attempted to find a publisher initially in 1998 and did a complete rewrite from 1999 through 2001. I finally put the project ‘to bed’ last October (2001). So it has been 10 years in the making!
“When my father passed away in March 2001, he left me sufficient money to self-publish. I have dedicated the book to his memory. He was very adventurous – an international geologist, who worked in the mountains of Colombia, where I was born. He was an Indiana Jones type – he even had a pet Ocelot. Mom and I lived in an apartment in Bogota until I was 4.
“The worst thing that happened during all of the storms that I explored in my research is the fact that people (government, businesses and individual property owners) weren’t properly prepared for subsequent hurricanes. In each of the four major hurricanes I have documented, Po’ipu has gotten slammed; its expensive beach front homes quickly becoming as fragile and destructible as paper-thin Communion wafers, or fish food flakes. Same goes for Kaumuali’i Highway in Kekaha. Every hurricane has covered that road with sand and boulders. And every time it is bulldozed clean and put back into use. When are we going to get it? Is it any wonder that insurance companies go belly up?? Do we live in such a disposable society that we can justify building million-dollar condos and homes to use as vacation rentals, which will repeatedly be ground into mulch every time the wind blows in excess of 100 mph?
“Tales of the Tempests can help people prepare for another hurricane by showing them the consequences of what has happened in the past. Ignorance, in the instance of hurricane preparedness, is NOT bliss. Not only does each and every person – homeowner, renter, and visitor – need to be aware of the possibility of a hurricane, every person needs to take responsibility for their own property and families in order to protect themselves and their neighbors.
“Additionally, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Civil Defense, the military, and FEMA are here to help, but they can not take the place of individual awareness, knowledge, and preparedness. It is up to us to prepare our homes and take care of our families in order to ensure personal safety, health and well being.”
The book is available at Walden’s, Border’s, the Koke’e Natural History Museum Bookstore and various smaller retail outlets on Kaua’i, or by calling me at 332-8151.
– TGI Editor Chris Cook can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) and mailto:ccook@pulitzer.net
