How to help those impacted by Hawaii floods

Summary

As communities across Hawaii dig out from flooding described as the worst to hit the state in more than 20 years, local relief groups are directing donations to households, farmers and animals affected by the storm damage. The Associated Press reported that two Kona low winter storm systems roughly a week apart unleashed deluges over soil too saturated to absorb more rain, damaging crops, hundreds of homes, multiple schools and one hospital.

In a statement, Gov. Josh Green said the storms “have impacted every county in our state and stretched our emergency response capabilities,” and he asked President Donald Trump for a major disaster declaration to channel federal resources to the recovery. Green said “This request is about getting our communities the support they need to recover quickly and safely.”

Across the islands, neighbors and aid groups are working to provide immediate support for displaced families, replace food and other essentials, arrange temporary housing, and help residents muck out debris-laden homes. Kuhio Lewis, CEO of the Hawaiian Council, said “So many families have been displaced, homes have been damaged, and communities are facing immediate needs,” adding that “The path to recovery begins now — it cannot wait.”

The relief effort includes a range of donation channels, including established United Way community funds, nonprofit mutual aid networks, state and regional foundations, and crowdfunding platforms that route money to specific verified fundraisers. Here are some of the groups accepting financial support, organized by need.

For families and individuals, Lahui Foundation is accepting donations for its mutual aid work distributing supplies and financial aid to Oahu’s North Shore families, and it is also organizing volunteers to clean out homes and neighborhoods. The AP reported that the group received attention from North Shore-born musician Jack Johnson, who directed followers to the Lahui Foundation via an Instagram post.

Aloha United Way has activated its Community Relief Fund on Oahu to provide immediate assistance to individuals and families and to support nonprofit organizations working on the front lines. Maui United Way is providing help across Maui and Molokai, while Hawaii Island United Way is collecting donations for households affected on Big Island and asks supporters to note flood relief on their donations.

The Hawaiian Council, a nonprofit focused on Native Hawaiian advancement, launched the Kako’o Oahu initiative, aimed at housing stability services, financial assistance and other future needs, with the council matching up to $200,000 in donations. The Hawaii Community Foundation has activated its Stronger Hawaii Fund to deploy resources statewide for response, recovery and future resilience, and Maui Rapid Response is using funds to deliver mutual aid to underserved communities on Maui and Molokai, including people who are homeless and areas temporarily cut off by flooding.

In addition to financial aid for households, the AP reported that some relief efforts focus specifically on animals and on farmers’ recovery. The Hawaiian Humane Society on Oahu is responding in flooded areas and providing pet food and supplies to displaced families, accepting monetary donations and updating an Amazon wishlist as needs arise. Maui Humane Society is collecting donations to support help for remote communities such as Hana, where washed-out roads temporarily disrupted aid, and for Molokai.

For farmers, the AP said the Hawaii Farmers Union Foundation launched the Hawaii Flood Response Fund to help farmers across the state recover, rebuild and restore the local food system. The report cited Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii’s estimate that damages to farms statewide exceed $15 million so far.

Medical response efforts also expanded, with the AP reporting that Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii and the Hawaii H.O.M.E Project set up mobile health units on Oahu’s North Shore, working with partners such as Direct Relief, which is helping distribute items including water purification supplies, antibiotics, insect repellant, tetanus shots and other medical necessities.