Red Cross Volunteers Bring Smiles to Kaua'i After Hurricane

Days before Hurricane Lowell slammed into Kaua'i as a Category 2 hurricane, 18 local Red Cross volunteers prepared to help their neighbors through the storm. Within a week, that number surged to 100 as volunteers flew in from across Hawaii and California to deliver relief.

Savannah Gibson, a Kaua'i resident and community disaster program manager, loaded her Red Cross truck with food and water to reach the hardest-hit North Shore. With power out and bridges closed by flooding, residents from Hanalei to Ha'ena were completely cut off from grocery stores and supplies.

Gibson drove the winding Kūhiō Highway past splintered trees and downed power lines, stopping to hand water bottles to road crews working to clear bridges. At Hanalei Colony Resort, she met Megan Wong, a community advocate who explained how North Shore residents rely on each other during disasters.

"Our motto on the North Shore is community-led, government supported," Wong told Gibson. The community's self-reliance meant they were often the last to receive official help, but Gibson wanted them to know the Red Cross was there anyway.

The most requested item wasn't food or water but work gloves. Gibson handed out gloves to ocean safety officers at Hanalei Pavilion who were moving a lifeguard tower back to its original spot after the hurricane blew it several feet away.

Sunny's Take

What made this relief effort special wasn't just the supplies. Gibson greeted every person with a smile and genuine care, whether they were utility workers, lifeguards, or residents on bicycles.

Red Cross CEO Molly Schmidt, who rode along on deliveries, noticed how much these encounters mattered. "People feel seen and valued and a part of the process," she said.

At Hanalei Colony Resort, the parking lot transformed into a community hub. Lehua Listman set up a wagon with ice and water for anyone who needed it while the resort's restaurant served hot meals to neighbors.

By mid-September, four of the five Red Cross shelters had closed as power returned to most of the island. Only the Kīlauea Neighborhood Center remained open with 27 residents, a sign that Kaua'i was recovering.

The North Shore finally saw lights flickering back on more than a week after the storm. When disaster isolates communities, sometimes the most powerful thing volunteers can offer is showing up with supplies, work gloves, and the message that help has arrived.