Hanalei Colony Resort Serves as Command Center for Flood Ravaged Communities

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

USA, Hāʻena, Hawaii. May 03, 2018

Hanalei Colony Resort is located on a secluded stretch of coastline at the furthest reaches of Kaua'i's North Shore in an area that was recently devastated by catastrophic flooding. While we are thankful that our guests, staff and resort were unharmed, our surrounding communities are in the midst of an intensive emergency response effort.

Out of respect to our guests, staff and communities, we will be closed through July 1, 2018, and all current reservations through that date will be refunded in full. During this time, the resort is serving as a central command center for those affected by this emergency, and we continue to welcome anyone in need of assistance.  

On April 23, 2018, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority issued a statement that “tremendous progress” is being made on Kaua'i's North Shore, but that the northernmost communities from Wainiha to Hāʻena (including the resort) are temporarily closed to public vehicle traffic while crews work to clear multiple landslides on Kūhiō Highway. Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) has opened a one-lane emergency access to Wainiha and Hāʻena, exclusively for designated emergency responders and coordinated disaster recovery operations.

On April 22, the resort hosted a community meeting with Kaua'i Mayor Bernard Carvalho that was attended by more than 400 participants to discuss vital services ranging from to fuel distribution to trash pickup. Over 750  gallons of fuel have been distributed since the start of the program at Camp Naue on Monday, April 23. Fuel will continue to be available to residents in Wainiha- Hāʻena between 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. daily. Each physical address is allowed five gallons of gasoline per week. Household trash was collected on Monday, April 30 and flown out of the affected area. Subsequent dates for trash removal are pending.

The medical team deployed to Hāʻena has been operating out of Hanalei Colony Resort since Friday, April 20. The agencies jointly involved include Hawai'i Department of Health (DOH), Hawai'i Healthcare Emergency Management (HHEM) and Kaua'i Emergency Management Agency (KEMA). Hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with after-hours care provided for urgent needs. There have been more than 230 patients treated for skin and wound infections, abrasions and other injuries that are common following flooding events. They have also seen many patients for chronic health conditions, resupply of prescription medications and tetanus boosters. The medical team will remain in place while the need exists. A mental health counselor from the Department of Health was stationed at the resort from Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 29.

Planning Director Michael Dahilig remains the county's point of contact stationed in Wainiha. He is available daily at the Camp Naue fuel distribution point from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hanalei Colony Resort. Other state agencies and relief organizations working out of Hanalei Colony Resort include the Department of Natural Land and Resources; the Hawai'i Red Cross; and Samaritan First Response and Rescue Service, trained dedicated personnel providing incident response, EMS, Animal Services and SAR. While not staying at the resort, Team Rubicon, which unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams to communities affected by disaster is also assisting on Kaua'i.

The Kaua'i Humane Society is offering free veterinarian services from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily at the resort for the isolated the communities. They have also provided pet food to the distribution sites at Camp Naue and Hanalei Colony Resort. 

Our restaurant is being supported by Malama Kaua'i and the Kaua'i Food Bank to provide breakfast and dinner for the area. We are thankful to the many volunteers for transporting in food and supplies by boat as well as to Island chefs who are preparing the nutritious meals.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education opened a temporary educational site at Hanalei Colony Resort on Thursday, April 26 to serve 51 students residing in Waikoko, Wainiha and Hāʻena after the heavy rains and landslides closed Kūhiō Highway. The satellite classes are for impacted students who are enrolled at Hanalei Elementary, Kapaʻa Middle and Kapaʻa High schools.  The K-12 classes are staffed with five teachers and are held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Last week, the Hawaii Tourism Authority's board of directors approved emergency funding of $180,000 to support a free shuttle service to transport residents between Wainiha and Haena. Operated by Hanalei Colony Resort, the shuttle service runs daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., making stops between Wainiha and Hāʻena . HTA is funding the shuttle service for as long as needed. The board deemed the daily shuttle service of critical importance so that so that families can gather food rations, fresh water and supplies, receive medical care, and have their children attend a satellite school at the resort.

On Tuesday, May 1, county officials collected outgoing mail from isolated Wainiha and Hāʻena at Hanalei Colony Resort from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Only letter-class mail was accepted. Officials had postage stamps for sale at the drop-off site, on a limited basis. The collected mail will was then transported by a county official and delivered to the Kilauea Post Office for processing by the U.S. Postal service.

“We express our most sincere sympathies to all residents and guests affected by the floods,” said Laura Richards, Hanalei Colony Resort general manager. “As a longtime part of the North Shore community, Hanalei Colony Resort is committed to assisting in the ongoing emergency response effort. We apologize for any delay in response to inquiries, as we have limited communications and staff on-site. We look forward to welcoming guests back as soon as possible and encourage you to visit hcr.com for our latest updates,” she continued.