As excavators lifted waterlogged furniture from gutted homes and volunteers shoveled thick mud under a blazing sun, residents of Otake Camp were left to pick up the pieces after devastating flooding from the second Kona-low storm — many without clear answers from property owners or government agencies.
By Sunday, hundreds of volunteers had poured into the tight-knit North Shore community, where at least four homes were swept away and nearly every structure sustained damage.
Among those impacted is Tony Nery Jr., a Waialua High and Intermediate School employee who has lived in Otake Camp for over a decade. His home was being stripped down to the studs as volunteers worked to clear debris.
“The other night we got flooded out in the middle of the night. No warning. It just popped up out of nowhere,” Nery said.
He described how quickly conditions deteriorated.
“The river came flowing through the yard maybe around 10 or 10:30 p.m.,” he said. “Carpets. I mean, every single piece of furniture, everything is gone.”
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Nery said he woke up to his aunt, who lives behind his house, screaming as water surged through the property.
“I looked out my window and I opened my window. I knew we all just had to get out,” he recalled. “I just grabbed a few pairs of clothes and I got out. When I came out my door, I was already walking in flowing water just to get out.”
His aunt survived, but lost two vehicles.
The flooding marks the first time his current home has been inundated, though not his first experience with disasters.
“This is probably like my fourth or fifth flood since 1995,” Nery said. “In 1998 and 2008, I lost everything in the other house that I was living in.”
Nery said those earlier losses happened just a couple houses down the road in Otake Camp, where he previously lived before moving to his current home — which, until this storm, had never flooded.
Despite the losses, he pointed to the overwhelming community response.
“There’s hundreds and hundreds of volunteers that are helping people just like me,” he said. “This is amazing. Our community, we are resilient and we do have a lot of help out there.”
Heavy equipment operators from private companies, including Souza and Sons Inc., joined neighbors in hauling out debris. As volunteers worked inside, excavators rumbled through the narrow camp roads — at one point lifting Nery’s mud-soaked refrigerator out of the house and tossing it onto the back of a pickup truck as part of the growing piles of ruined belongings.
“These businesses brought their heavy equipment out here to help everybody with the cleanup,” Nery said.
Still, the recovery has been chaotic. Nery said he was forced to evacuate multiple times, including after a reported gas leak.
“I was home for 5 minutes, lo and behold, I had to evacuate, and I didn’t know what was going on. HPD, military showed up with hazmat suits,” he said. “There was a big gas leak. So I had no time to do anything.”
He is now staying with friends in Wahiawa and considering whether to rebuild or leave Otake Camp altogether.
“I’ve been thinking about relocating after I figure this out,” he said, citing longstanding concerns about upkeep in the area.
Community steps in
While government crews have been working across the island — with fewer than 220 customers still without power as of Friday afternoon — many volunteers on the ground said they had yet to see direct assistance in Otake Camp during the initial cleanup push.
Instead, labor has largely come from residents, unions and local organizations.
Jonathan Matsumoto, a colleague and friend of Nery, arrived with other Waialua teachers to help clear the home.
“I’ve never seen a community come together so much until today,” Matsumoto said. “The longshoremen did a lot. That union that came down, they brought their whole entire union.”
Matsumoto described a steady stream of support: people streamed down the street throughout the day bringing food and drinks, he said, offering support to residents who were too busy dealing with damage to their homes to seek help themselves.
“We got notice that there’s homes sweeping away at Otake, and we were like, ‘oh crap, that’s Tony,’” he said. “It’s just so sad. I mean, like, they had no chance.”
Zy Tilo, 19, spent the day shoveling mud alongside his cousins after arriving early in the morning.
His cousin, Natiana Hatchie, said the effort has been entirely community-driven.
“Nobody got paid, people were donating diesel, gas, food, ice, water,” she said. “It makes me feel really proud that everyone got each other’s backs here.”
Longstanding concerns
Some residents said they have not heard from the landlord who owns Otake Camp and a nearby store, raising concerns about accountability in a community long vulnerable to flooding.
Volunteers echoed frustrations, saying the area is historically flood-prone and poorly maintained.
They described homes as substandard and said low rents — in some cases under $1,000 — leave tenants with few alternatives.
Volunteers said low rents may attract tenants, but the lack of maintenance leaves residents dealing with the consequences, calling it irresponsible on the landlord’s part. They also pointed to deeper inequities, saying many residents are from lower-income backgrounds and have few alternatives, forcing them to return and rebuild after each disaster.
Ongoing impacts
Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area around Kaukonahua Road and Otake Camp to allow cleanup crews to work safely.
A boil-water notice remains in effect for North Shore communities from Mokuleia to Turtle Bay, with residents advised to boil tap water before use.
Some residents and volunteers expressed frustration with how long the process is taking, noting the challenges of daily life without safe water — from brushing teeth to washing hands — especially in areas still without electricity where boiling water is not always possible.
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply advises that water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil for at least three minutes before consumption and will announce when the notice is lifted.
Water tankers have been set up at the Waialua Community Association, Banzai Skate Park and Waialua District Park Recreation Center for public use.
Storm damage has disrupted schools statewide, with the Department of Education reporting more than 500 work orders for issues including roof leaks, flooding and debris.
On Oahu, Waialua Elementary, Waialua High and Intermediate, Haleiwa Elementary and Sunset Beach Elementary are closed today for further assessment and cleaning. On Molokai, Kaunakakai Elementary School, Kilohana Elementary School, Maunaloa Elementary School, Molokai Middle School and Molokai High School also will be closed today due to flooding and road closures that have limited campus access.
On Hawaii island, Konawaena Middle School, Konawaena High School and Ke Kula O Ehunuikaimalino will be closed through Thursday to allow for cleanup and repairs.
Two shelters in Maui County remain open — one in Kihei at the South Maui Community Park Gym, 1501 Liloa Drive, and one on Molokai at the Mitchell Pauole Community Center, 90 Ainoa St. in Kaunakakai. A temporary evacuation point is also available at Kilohana Recreation Center, 334 E. Kamehameha V Highway, according to the Maui Emergency Management Agency.