Please donate to the Rotary District 5000 Foundation Kauai Disaster Fund. On 9/7/2026, category two hurricane Lowell passed within 70 miles of the west side of the island of Kauai. It brought 80 mile per hour winds and heavy rain across the island. There was extensive inland flash flooding and coastal flooding. There will be a long recovery and people have lost jobs. There are immediate needs for food, water, and debris removal.
Roads were blocked, including the main highway, from downed trees. There was extensive damage to commercial and residential properties. Damage is still being assessed, but hundreds of structures have been damaged. At current count 54 homes were severely damaged and 7 homes were destroyed, but reports are still coming in. Luckily only two people died during the storm. Tourism is the primary industry, and tourists on the island have been asked to leave for disaster response. 90% of the island lost power and currently 25% still have no power for at least 1-2 weeks, and in some cases, it will be a month or more. There will be a long recovery and people have lost jobs. There are immediate needs for food, water, and debris removal.
On Saturday, Sept 26, Rotary members in Waimea to help our West Side neighbors recovering from Hurricane Lowell. Nearly three weeks after the storm, many ʻohana are still dealing with damaged roofs, downed trees, job loss, and stretched budgets. Working alongside Mālama Kauaʻi Executive Director Megan Fox, The Salvation Army, and about 40 community volunteers from various organizations at the Waimea Huakaʻi Community Center, together the group:
• Handed out 300 bags of food, • Helped families apply for relief, including up to $2,500 in disaster assistance, • Connected residents with roof repair help, tree removal, tarps, diapers and formula, • Shared cleaning buckets and first aid kits from The Salvation Army,
Rotary District 5000 in Hawaii was awarded a $25,000 Disaster Response Grant from The Rotary Foundation, and we are partnering with Malama Kaua’i to put it to work. Some of those funds bought the food in today’s bags directly from local farmers. Our farmers were hit twice: first by the storm, then by the sudden drop in tourism that shrank their pool of resort buyers. One grant, two ways to help. The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s own charity, supported by Rotarians and friends around the world. Its disaster grants let local members team up with trusted organizations like Mālama Kauaʻi, which has strengthened food access on our island since 2006.
A special mahalo to:• Megan and the Mālama Kauaʻi team
• Rotary Club of West Kauaʻi: 5 members and ʻohana, plus 4 friends of the club
• Rotary E-Club of Hawaiʻi: 4 members
• Rotary Club of Poʻipū Beach: 1 member
• Every volunteer who gave their Saturday
To everyone still recovering: you are not alone. Mālama Kauaʻi’s Hurricane Resource Hub at malamakauai.org lists food, financial help and recovery resources.
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Video created by Hanalei Bay Rotarian Ron Margolis