I’ll be honest: I was not perfectly prepared. I’m rarely perfectly prepared, and I suspect almost no one is.

Since mid-August, the Big Island has been hit by three hurricanes (Lala, Lowell, and Nolo) plus a tropical storm, Moke, in between. I’m writing this while it’s fresh, partly because people considering a move here deserve the unpolished version, and partly because I learned a few things the hard way. I also know many neighbors are still recovering from far worse than I went through, so take this as one off-grid household’s view, not the whole story.

LALA, IN AUGUST, WAS THE SCARY ONE

The County asked people to stay off the roads, and I did. Lala lasted a while, and by my own rain gauge it dropped 11.5 inches here. What I remember most is the sound. I could hear trees coming down all over the place, and there’s nothing to do but sit inside and listen.

The scariest noises came at night, when I couldn’t see what was coming down or where. Every crack and crash was a mystery. I pity anyone who has a big storm pass over in the dark.

MOKE AND LOWELL: MORE RAIN ON GROUND THAT NEVER DRIED OUT

Moke and Lowell each added about 2.2 inches at my place. Lowell was mostly a Kauai story, and for us it was more rain on saturated ground. Honestly, by then the storms were running together.

NOLO: MUGGY, WET, AND THEN A SURPRISE

Nolo also lasted a while. For Nolo, the County gave most of its employees administrative leave on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 24 and 25. That was a very good call – it reduced traffic and gave County workers and contractors more time to prepare. Nolo passed south of the island, and until it moved west of South Point it was horribly muggy and rainy, with a fair amount of wind. I recorded about 2.2 inches of rain.

Then the night it cleared South Point, the temperature dropped from the 68 degrees of the previous few nights to 52. After days of that heavy, sticky air, I’ll admit it was a treat.

THE RAINIEST YEAR IN A DECADE AT MY PLACE

The storms were only part of it. September has given me over 10 inches so far, and I believe August was at least that much. Much of it fell on ordinary days between storms. The ground never dried out, which meant boot-sucking mud, a driveway I could barely use, and horses developing abscesses. This has been the rainiest year I can remember in at least a decade.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

I’m off-grid, and my power, water, and internet kept working throughout. If you’re weighing off-grid property, that matters. The systems held up. (If you’re curious what to check before buying, I wrote about it here

WHAT WENT WRONG

My driveway was close to impassable. The utilities were fine, but getting a vehicle in or out was another story. If you’re evaluating a property, look closely at the driveway: its grade, surface, drainage, and whether you’d need four-wheel drive in a wet year. Remember that even if you can get out in four wheel, you may be doing so much damage to your road that it’s better to just sit tight.

My freezer wasn’t stocked enough. The usual guidance is two weeks of supplies on hand I fell short on frozen food.

I forgot the cat kibble. I stocked up on feed for the larger animals and forgot to replenish the cats’ supply. They ate canned dog food for a few days. They survived and have not forgiven me.

BIG ISLAND HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS LIST (What I Keep on Hand Off-Grid)

I keep a list of what I need on hand, and I rarely manage to have all of it at once. I get by, but “getting by” is not a plan. Here’s what’s on mine:

Animal feed

• Oat alfalfa cubes: 4 bags (it should really be 8)
• Senior feed: 1 bag
• All-species feed: 1 bag
• Cat kibble: 1 extra bag
• grass pellets (multiple bags in case I have to keep horses in)
• dog kibble: 1 extra bag

Fuel

• Diesel: 4 cans
• Ethanol-free gas: 1 can
• Mixed oil/gas: 1 can, for chainsaws

Food

• Frozen vegetables, plus fresh vegetables for sheet-pan roasting
• Frozen chicken breasts
• Frozen grass-fed beef patties
• Frozen fruit
• Flour for bread
• Dry milk
• Rice
• Beans

Light

• Headlamps (one per person, plus a spare)
• Lots of spare batteries, including whatever you use for automatic gates – you’ll be glad you don’t have to get out in the mud!

WHAT I’D TELL SOMEONE THINKING OF BUYING HERE

Hurricanes are part of the picture, along with earthquakes, which I wrote about here. Neither may be a reason not to live here. But they are reasons to ask good questions before you buy: How is the road access in a wet year? How does the property drain? What’s the water situation? Is there backup power? Where’s the nearest place to get supplies if the road closes?

If you’re thinking about a move to Waimea or the surrounding area and want to talk it through, give me a call!

Judy S. Howard, Esq. is an Associate Broker (RB-23241) with Compass in Waimea, Hawaii, and a licensed Hawaii attorney with over 40 years of experience. She has lived off-grid near Waimea for 29 years.

Judy Howard, Esq, CDRE, R(B) 23241
Compass
(808) 885-5588
judy@livinginwaimea.com
Compass Office: 65-1230 Mamalahoa Hwy, Suite E-11, Kamuela, HI 96743