While floodwaters poured into the first floor of his Wainiha home, Kauai firefighter Elijah Frank was out on the road, chainsaw in hand, clearing downed trees so his crew could reach neighbors in need. Frank had taken a call back and was working overtime instead of being home with his wife and four children when the water hit, leaving him to manage a storm response on two fronts at once.
Frank responded to emergencies across the island during Hurricane Lowell, according to Hawaii News Now, answering calls along ‘Ala’eke Road even as overflowing river water inundated the first floor of his own house. Flooding reached about waist to chest depth in places, the outlet reports, blocking access up the road and forcing Frank and his crew to use surfboards to move through the water.
Trees Falling, Roads Blocked
Conditions on the ground deteriorated fast. Downed trees blocked firefighters on the roadway, and per the same account, trees started falling one after another within about half an hour, forcing the crew to use a chainsaw just to clear a path. Frank's area lost power and cell service during the storm, and he stayed awake most of the night trying to keep track of both his duties and his family.
Amid the chaos, Frank and his crew searched for a family that had called for help. The family managed to reach a neighbor's house about eight feet off the ground and was found safe there, the report notes. Frank later said the water level at that neighboring house reached several feet above the ground, underscoring how quickly the flooding rose in the area.
A Long Night of Worry
Frank kept in touch with his family during the day, but the same report describes a tense stretch around 3 a.m. on September 23 when he grew worried about their safety as communication dropped out. He eventually used a Starlink device provided by the Hanalei Initiative to get service back and texted his wife, learning she and their children were safe. Frank's crew returned to the station in Hanalei before he was able to reunite with his family.
Both Frank's home and his rental property next door sustained flood damage from the storm. Frank estimates that Hurricane Lowell caused about $20,000 in damage to his properties, according to the report, though no insurance or inspection figures have been made public to independently verify that total.
Rebuilding Again After 2018
This is not the first time Frank's family has had to start over. He said they lost everything they owned in a 2018 flood, and after Lowell they again relied on community support for recovery. Frank described the generosity and mutual assistance shown by neighbors as incredible, the report states, a sentiment that echoes the mutual aid many Wainiha households leaned on eight years earlier.
For those tracking future storm risk in the islands, the National Weather Service's graphical forecast site includes hurricane outlooks alongside river flooding and warning information, while its radar page shows real-time conditions layered with forecasts and alerts.
