Hawaii’s AANHPI Ccmmunities rally as floods leave trails of destruction

SCREEN CAPTURE / ABC

Oahu's North Shore communities were the hardest hit by the double deluge.

Over 5,500 residents across Hawaii were forced to evacuate as flash floods—the worst in over two decades—tore through neighborhoods, uprooted families, and left an estimated $1 billion in damages in their wake.

While the headline-grabbing wind and rain of the March 2026 double "Kona low" storm system -- essentially, a slow moving storm followed by another slow moving storm --  have started to subside after dumping 8-14 inches of rain. The reality of storm damage for thousands in Hawaii is just beginning to sink in.

For many in our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, this isn't just a weather event; it’s a direct hit on ancestral lands and cultural hubs already facing economic and environmental pressures.

Ground zero

Oahu’s North Shore & Windward Side was ground zero. Communities like Haleiwa, Waialua, and Laie—home to many Native Hawaiian families—bore the brunt of the water's fury. In Laie, approximately 100 homes were damaged overnight.

“It was a scary moment for us, especially my mom being here by herself,” Leilua Scott of Laie told Hawaii News Now. “Seeing what was damaged and how the water was still rising, I didn’t worry about anything. All I worried was my mom and my little brother.”

“Everything was damaged from the bed, sofas, couches, icebox, everything. We can’t save anything,” Scott said.

Over 230 people had to be pulled from the rising waters, including 72 kids and staff airlifted from a North Shore youth camp.

Officials and residents are worried about the 120-year-old Wahiawa Dam overtopping casting a shadow of fear over downstream families for days.

The earthen dam was built by the Waialua Sugar Company to irrigate North Shore sugar fields. Today it is owned by the Dole Food Company.

The earthen dam has been cited for lacking adequate spillway repairs since 2009. The historic rains brought the reservoir to critical levels, causing concerns about potential failure, though Dole management stated it remained structurally sound.

Thankfully, water levels started dropping Saturday, but the damage is done—homes are buried in muck, and the local fire station was completely swamped.

Early estimates are staggering, hovering around $1 billion. We’re talking destroyed schools, shredded roads, and a power grid that’s still struggling to stay upright in some pockets.

Maui: disaster after disaster

On Maui, in areas like Lahaina and South Kihei, residents still healing from the 2023 wildfires are now navigating mudslides and sinkholes. The "sky weeps" (Uwe ka lani), but for those in temporary housing or already displaced, the "life" it brings to the earth is a heavy weight to carry.

Big Island

While the sun is trying to peek through in spots, the Big Island is still under a Flood Watch through this afternoon. The ground is so saturated right now that even a light shift in the wind could send more mud sliding.

Kauai & Molokai 

They dodged the absolute worst but are still dealing with heavy runoff and flash flood advisories as the tail end of the system drags across the chain.

Hawaii is resilient, but this one left a mark. If you’re on the islands, stay off the backroads and keep an eye on the National Weather Service—this system isn't totally out of the neighborhood yet.

How to support recovery efforts

The road to rebuilding will be long, and financial support is the most effective way to help community-led organizations pivot to meet changing needs.

• Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA): Launched the Kākoʻo Oʻahu fund specifically to provide financial and housing assistance to families displaced by these floods. They are currently running a $100,000 matching campaign.

• Hawaiʻi Community Foundation: Activated the Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund, designed to move resources quickly and flexibly across all islands where the need is greatest.

• The Salvation Army (Hawaiian & Pacific Islands): Deploying emergency teams to provide meals and essential supplies to those in shelters across Oahu and Maui.

• Hawaii Farmers Union Foundation: Supporting rural and agricultural AANHPI communities through the Hawaii Flood Response Fund, helping small farmers recover lost crops and livestock.

“It appears that we will enter a more benign weather phase, once the flood threat diminishes over the next day or so,” saud Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda during a press conference “We do not see a significant threat for the next week and half. Beyond that, it is difficult to predict.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge.