...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THURSDAY...
* WHAT...East winds 20 to 30 kt.
* WHERE...All surrounding coastal waters.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST Thursday.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller
vessels, should avoid navigating in these conditions.
&&
Glory Dixon says she used large rocks to weigh down her tent. She collapsed the tent for the day due to heavy winds.
Jeremy Lee joined KITV after over a decade & a half in broadcast news from coast to coast on the mainland. Jeremy most recently traveled the country documenting protests & civil unrest.
The rough weather over the past few days brought unique challenges for houseless communites.
WAIANAE, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Large rocks and whatever items are available, that's what those living off of Farrington Highway have been using to try to secure tents and belongings from the heavy winds.
"Mainly we tie down everything. Even though the wind is stronger, the waves are stronger than us. That's nature. We cannot deal with that. We just got to at least go with it," Glory Dixon said.
Dixon says she decided to tough out the last few nights, even though she says outreach came.
While some prefer not to abandon their belongings, some have been admitted to shelters in recent days, according to advocacy groups like Partners in Care.
"And they are a tough group. They are able to withstand quite a bit. Many have been outside and unsheltered for a long time. So a lot of these events are more normal to them," Laura Thielen told KITV4.
All the same, communication is key Thielen says, making sure nobody is caught completely unprepared.
"One minute you're not in a disaster and the next it can be a really big storm. So a lot of folks that are out on the streets don't know what's coming. So the outreach provided by all these different agencies is vital," Thielen added.
"Water just came up and swept up my whole tent," Makana-Akua told KITV4.
Makana-Akua, 21, has been unsheltered for several years, since he was a teenager. He says the high surf caught him off guard.
"There was like a sand storm. A sand and rain storm. Everywhere was foggy after the rain. It was spooky," he said.
Some have dug trenches in the sand to deter the high surf. At one point, a golf cart pulled up. The driver said, "We're gonna take uncle to our home." The local told KITV4 an older man he knew needed some help.
"They're our neighbors. Whether they're on the streets or in a house, they're part of our community. If we can get them to trust us during episodes like this when harm might come to them if they don't get into shelter, they might begin to trust us on other things," Thielen said, "And that's what we really want to work towards, is building that trust."
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Jeremy Lee joined KITV after over a decade & a half in broadcast news from coast to coast on the mainland. Jeremy most recently traveled the country documenting protests & civil unrest.
