The Chungs’ experience illustrates how storm recovery can continue after a delivery. Keʻale and Haylee Chung welcomed their second child, a daughter named Harper Jade, on Sept. 14 — one week after Hurricane Lowell passed near Kauaʻi. Hawaii News Now reported that the family then returned to a Kīlauea home without power or running water.
The North Shore family’s home was surrounded by downed trees and power lines, and the storm damaged its backyard shed and playground, according to Hawaii News Now. The outlet reported that Haylee Chung called Harper Jade a hurricane baby.
The hospital trip began around 3:30 a.m., when the couple left Kīlauea for Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea with a chainsaw in case fallen trees blocked the roads, Hawaii News Now reported. The Chungs reached the hospital safely, and Haylee said she wanted to stay there for about a week because she expected no power at home.
A Storm That Rivaled Iniki
Hurricane Lowell devastated parts of Kauaʻi. The storm's winds and coastal surge knocked out power to roughly 33,000 customers, about 90% of Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative's base.
Why Utility Outages Matter After Delivery
The challenges described by the Chungs also have practical implications for postpartum care. According to the American Public Health Association, power and water outages can make it difficult to clean breast pumps or safely store expressed milk because pumps require clean water and milk requires refrigeration. The supplied public-health guidance does not document a separate childbirth or postpartum case for comparison, but it explains why Kauaʻi’s loss of utilities created added difficulties for families with newborns.
When the Chungs returned, they faced a blackout and no running water. Keʻale Chung called the lack of running water probably the biggest hurdle of the family’s first days home and said it was among the toughest parts of adjusting to life with a newborn.
Village Behind Her
Power was eventually restored and water service stabilized at the Chung home, and relatives and friends stepped in to help the family recover while adjusting to life with a newborn. Haylee said she had a great village behind her, and that relatives and friends cleaned her whole house while she and Keʻale focused on Harper Jade.
A Direct Relief partner provided diapers, formula, and hygiene supplies after Lowell.
Islandwide Damage Still Being Tallied
The Chungs' shed and playground damage fits into a much larger picture of destruction. Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital was where Harper Jade was born.
Waipā-related meal distributions took place in the North Shore area.
Officials waived Kauaʻi Bus fares through Sept. 30 and set up disaster tax relief programs for residents still rebuilding. For families like the Chungs, that recovery is running alongside the far more personal work of caring for a newborn who arrived right in the middle of it.
