Video inspires many to come to aid of flooded Koloa neighborhood

KOLOA — For most residents of the South Shore, last Sunday was spent watching in awe the reports and videos coming in from the north and east side of the island. The disaster seemed located only on the other side of the island.

While the morning was wet, by the afternoon all of Poipu and most of Koloa was overcast but pleasant with barely a drop of rain.

For the unsuspecting residents of Aloha Place and Waihohonu Road, two small neighborhoods on the far east side of Koloa, their location in the junction of two streams, one from flowing Kahili and one from the Waita Reservoir would suddenly become our local catastrophe.

Rainwaters from the interior had been swelling the streams surrounding the neighborhood all morning and by midafternoon a surge coming from the interior overflowed their banks quickly filling the two-block area like a swimming pool of brown dank water.

Most people in the community had no warning and therefor no time to prepare or escape as floodwaters rose over waist deep in many homes and their parked vehicles filled.

Glenn Santos made his getaway pushing his two dogs on his paddleboard down the center of Aloha Place in armpit high water and managed to catch a few moments of video showing his journey — a scene that went viral the next morning.

By nighttime all residents were safe and accounted for and the event virtually unknown. But it was the next day when the marvelous muscle of Kauai flexed itself.

Early in the morning, largely driven by Glenn’s short video, teams of people were mobilized into action.

Nearby Kauai Christian Fellowship put out the call and numerous staff and members showed up with trucks and boots to help residents haul the filthy, soggy ruined belongings to the dump.

Neighbors and friends banded together at each house clogging the street with Toyota Tacoma trucks smeared brown with mud and packed with debris and melting furniture.

Dave Rita brought one of his massive pink and blue trash containers and parked it at the end of the street so that people could quickly remove their ruined belongings.

It was filled within hours.

Surfboard maker Mike Wellman, nursing a sore back which kept him from lifting, wanted to do something, so he and his wife Susie showed up at noontime with lunch bags they had prepared for the neighborhood.

Youth Pastor Tony Leair, his wife Tatiana and Shari Pilaria slogged through the mud early in the morning and stayed working until dusk.

Joe McEvoy of HPM Kauai Lumber pulled a couple of big guys out of his warehouse and sent them into the fray.

Rich Teter showed up with a dump truck and filled it to the brim with debris.

In the afternoon Tyler Hahn brought the team of teenagers he leads at the Southside Sports Center Crossfit into the neighborhood to put their muscles to practical service joining other young men such as Brett Borseig, Nainoa and Brandon Klindt in the mucky work.

People kept showing up after work, dragging out soaked carpets and buckled flooring including Melanie Cierras and Lauren Bundschuh.

Newcomers to the island, Mike and Lissa Shea, not only joined the mud fest but ended up taking a family to their home that evening.

There was no news coverage, no video of the dozens of homes wrecked only Glenn Santo’s short little clip made on his phone. But that was all it took for the real Kauai to flex its muscle of kindness, care and love and show why this is such a wonderful place to live.