On Friday the 13th, a fierce Kona low storm hit Hawaii. Our farmer has been protecting the farm alone, and a member of our staff edited this video from the phone clips our farmer sent.
The water comes
Chicken Paradise sits at the foot of a mountain. The forecast warned of a very dangerous storm, so our farmer prepared as much as possible, stocked up on food, and stayed overnight at the farm.
By early Friday morning, a lot of rainwater was already pouring in. A path that cars normally drive on had turned into a river, about ankle-deep and flowing fast, and the road outside the gate was a muddy torrent. The force of the water knocked down the fence between us and our neighbor.
If the water backed up, the chickens’ play area would flood. Our farmer watched the flow, found the spot where it was blocked (“just like a beaver dam”), and in the pouring rain dug it out and cleared what was in the way. The water flowed off to lower ground. People urged our farmer to evacuate, but leaving the family behind was never an option. Our farmer also dug channels so the pooled water could drain, and the play area was saved.
Caring for everyone in the mud
Mud cakes on the chickens’ feet and feathers, some faces got dirty, and at night that mud steals body heat. So there was cleaning to do, and birds sleeping in wet spots to move gently after dark. Namonakimono got so muddy that the car became an emergency shelter, along with the chicks from our Shorts. Everyone is alive. A puppy from the neighboring farm turned up too; with the road cut, the neighbors couldn’t get through, so the puppy is staying in the car shelter for now.
The days after
The storm caused damage all over, and some farms were flooded. A few days later, our staff brought food, switching to a big truck partway and carrying the last stretch by hand. A week later it rained again, and the ground is so soaked that even light rain can do damage. A buried iron fence was catching debris and blocking the flow, so our farmer dug it out bit by bit.
At first, some people around us worried and told our farmer to go home. Now they help. The lane where the farm cats greet us is now a little stream, and only the ducks seem thrilled. Over two weeks on, the weather has settled, and our farmer is still at the farm. We chose to live with these animals, so we have a duty to protect them. We hope the blue skies return and every flooded place can recover. If you’d like to help us keep rebuilding, our fire-recovery fundraiser is still open on the Donation page.