Sunday, November 08, 2009
Search
Blogs
HiLife Online 
Reader Poll
Most Read
- Case of baby who died in Customs heads to trial after failure to settle
- Retailers on guard as crooks ram vehicles into properties
- Educators accused of unethical conduct
- Desperate times at Aloha Stadium
- Feeding frenzy for UH backs
- Calls for tax hike piling on reluctant lawmakers
- Warriors find winning formula
- State welfare payouts drop as numbers of needy grow
- Go fly a business
- Hawaii busts up Utah State 49-36
Flood victims take first step to recovery
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 18, 2008
Former Philadelphia resident Reun Vorn moved his family to Hawaii this year to start a farm in Waialua, growing pumpkins, long beans, eggplants, bittermelons and other vegetables he sold at local markets.
WHERE TO GET HELPDisaster Assistance and Recovery Centers will be open at the following times: 1 to 7 p.m. today: 1 to 7 p.m. tomorrow: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday:
|
"I didn't know the water is like this," he said.
Without vegetables to sell, the family showed up yesterday at the Haleiwa Gym, one of the state's three Disaster Assistance and Recovery Centers, set up to help residents who lost property in last week's flooding rain.
About 130 families stopped by at the gym, while 102 sought help in Waianae and 78 in Laie. Some needed basic cleaning supplies; others sought loans to pay for rebuilding. They found government and nonprofit agencies set up in one place.
Vorn plans to start his farm again in about three months. But he wondered where he could turn until then for help with a wife and two teenage children.
"I don't know yet," he said. "I'm just thinking step by step."
Ray Lovell, state Civil Defense spokesman, said the storm caused $1.6 million in damage to personal property on Oahu, not including damage to private structures. Kauai damage was estimated Tuesday at least $1.8 million.There is no total damage estimate yet. On Oahu about 200 homes were affected by flooding, 47 homes had major damage and 20 were destroyed.
Brian, a carpenter who declined to give his last name, said he has been wearing the same socks since last week.
"I lost everything, all my clothes," the former Waialua Beach Road resident said. Wearing donated clothes, he went to the center seeking more threads, food and a list of places to stay.
He found a blanket, flashlight and offers of assistance that helped him psychologically.
"It makes you realize that you really don't need that much help," he said.
One Mililani couple whose house was flooded received cleaning supplies, a stuffed Mickey Mouse character for their children and a $150 cash card for new bedding.
Rodelyn Francisco, 30, just bought her Mililani condominium on Dec. 5. Her husband is deployed to Kuwait.
She said the center helped with information about mold in her home and getting flood insurance.
"I didn't think there would be this many people to help," she said.
At the start of the month, Derek Gamiao was laid off from his management job, then saw two of his Waialua homes damaged by rushing water.
"At this point we don't know what to do," he said. "I'm just going to see what happens. Rebuild, get everything comfortable."
He plans to help a family he met while staying at a Red Cross shelter during the storm that lost everything in the floods.
"I think everybody needs to go through this," he said. "It kind of humbles you."
Former Philadelphia resident Reun Vorn moved his family to Hawaii this year to start a farm in Waialua, growing pumpkins, long beans, eggplants, bittermelons and other vegetables he sold at local markets.
WHERE TO GET HELPDisaster Assistance and Recovery Centers will be open at the following times:1 to 7 p.m. today: 1 to 7 p.m. tomorrow: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday: |
"I didn't know the water is like this," he said.
Without vegetables to sell, the family showed up yesterday at the Haleiwa Gym, one of the state's three Disaster Assistance and Recovery Centers, set up to help residents who lost property in last week's flooding rain.
About 130 families stopped by at the gym, while 102 sought help in Waianae and 78 in Laie. Some needed basic cleaning supplies; others sought loans to pay for rebuilding. They found government and nonprofit agencies set up in one place.
Vorn plans to start his farm again in about three months. But he wondered where he could turn until then for help with a wife and two teenage children.
"I don't know yet," he said. "I'm just thinking step by step."
Ray Lovell, state Civil Defense spokesman, said the storm caused $1.6 million in damage to personal property on Oahu, not including damage to private structures. Kauai damage was estimated Tuesday at least $1.8 million.There is no total damage estimate yet. On Oahu about 200 homes were affected by flooding, 47 homes had major damage and 20 were destroyed.
Brian, a carpenter who declined to give his last name, said he has been wearing the same socks since last week.
"I lost everything, all my clothes," the former Waialua Beach Road resident said. Wearing donated clothes, he went to the center seeking more threads, food and a list of places to stay.
He found a blanket, flashlight and offers of assistance that helped him psychologically.
"It makes you realize that you really don't need that much help," he said.
One Mililani couple whose house was flooded received cleaning supplies, a stuffed Mickey Mouse character for their children and a $150 cash card for new bedding.
Rodelyn Francisco, 30, just bought her Mililani condominium on Dec. 5. Her husband is deployed to Kuwait.
She said the center helped with information about mold in her home and getting flood insurance.
"I didn't think there would be this many people to help," she said.
At the start of the month, Derek Gamiao was laid off from his management job, then saw two of his Waialua homes damaged by rushing water.
"At this point we don't know what to do," he said. "I'm just going to see what happens. Rebuild, get everything comfortable."
He plans to help a family he met while staying at a Red Cross shelter during the storm that lost everything in the floods.
"I think everybody needs to go through this," he said. "It kind of humbles you."
Today’s Edition
- Damien celebrations draw to a close
- Calls for tax hike piling on reluctant lawmaker
- Retailers on guard as crooks ram vehicles into properties
- County pandemic plans to apply to overall state response strategy
- State welfare payouts drop as numbers of needy grow
- Earlier primary voting considered
- Whatever Happened To: Case of baby who died in Customs heads to trial after failure to settle
- Newswatch
- Police and Fire
- Shining Stars
- Vital Statistics
- What's open and closed on Veterans Day
- Trouble in Paradise
- Windfall is seen as bank bonuses are paid in stock
- Overweight Americans push back in the health care debate
- Handmade: Make your presence felt with 'Felties'
- Drawing attention
- Da Kine
- Scrivener's Sudoku: Army Community Hawaii
- Murakami's Calabash
- Warriors find winning formula
- Feeding frenzy for UH backs
- Porous run defense deflates Utah State
- Short snaps: UH vs. Utah State
- Further Review: Old-school running game keyed UH's feel-good win
- Amis out indefinitely with foot injury
- UH's Lee lifts Hawaii's spirit
- Farrington finds a way
- 'Iolani rolls Damien to prepare for states
- Hawaii Beat
- Scoreboard
- Television & Radio
- New kite business takes off
- Business briefs
- It's not too late to cut tax liability
- Hawaii Real Estate Sales
- Tracking Hawaii's student stock pickers
insideStarBulletin.com
