HILO — The devastation was swift and nearly absolute.
In the course of three days, hundreds of homes, farms and vacation rentals in Kapoho became buried under a relentless ‘a‘a lava flow that turned lives upside down and erased an entire community from the map, leaving its iconic tide pools and gentle bay to live on in the memories of those who cherished them.
It’s a scene that had played out in Puna before — in Kalapana more than two decades ago and, before that, the village of Kapoho in 1960. But it had been decades since Hawaii Island residents seen Kilauea volcano take so much so quickly.
“Every house was lost (in Vacationland),” Mayor Harry Kim said. “That’s the unimaginable thing. All this happened in three days, from no threat to 100 percent or less. And that’s just mind-boggling.”
By Wednesday evening, nearly all of the estimated 500 residences in Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots had been destroyed, easily outpacing destruction from the Pu‘u ‘O‘o/Kupaianaha eruption, which claimed 215 structures from 1983 until its end just more than a month ago.
Only a few homes on the north side of Kapoho Bay remained.
A lava flow that is now 8 miles long continued to flow into the ocean Wednesday after filling in Kapoho Bay. Lava now extends 0.8 miles from the former shoreline.
The official count of homes lost to the current lower East Rift Zone eruption that started May 3 in Leilani Estates remained at 130. That number includes homes lost in Leilani and Lanipuna Gardens but does not include those destroyed in Kapoho.
In terms of total land covered, the 35-year Pu‘u ‘O‘o/Kupaianaha eruption remains on top with 56 square miles; the current eruption has covered 8.6 square miles so far.
Kim, who owned a small house in Vacationland on property his family purchased in 1971, lamented the island’s loss.
Lava destroyed that house, but the mayor, who resides in Hilo, said he will miss the Waiopae tide pools the most. Most of the tide pool area was covered by Wednesday.
“I will miss just sitting there, standing there, just looking at the beauty of that place,” Kim said. “Never in my mind was I looking at the house. Just the ocean, the ponds, the coral, the peace of it, I will miss. I will cherish the memories I have of it and really cherish that I had a lot of years of it.”
He said there were “a lot of tears” at the Pahoa community meeting Tuesday evening.
“It was hard to take, to tell you the truth,” Kim said.
Among the many mourning the loss are Delores Kinsey, who moved to Kapoho Beach Lots in 2009 from Arizona.
She said the destruction was “overwhelming.”
“I think the ocean is why we moved there,” Kinsey said. “The bay was exquisitely beautiful. The people that were attracted to this area were kind of unique, too. They were people who appreciated the nature and the beauty there.”
Kim was Civil Defense chief during past eruptions that inundated Kalapana and the Royal Gardens subdivision and knows well how this loss can impact individuals and communities.
“The great loss of Kalapana was that was the home of Hawaiians for generations,” Kim said. “I’ll never forget the sadness of sitting down with them and being the one to tell them to go.”
After Kapoho was inundated, he said there’s also a “great sense of sadness” and emptiness.
“I really believe that someday we will look back and remember, and we will see a better future,” Kim said. “But right now, it hurts like hell.”
Reporter Stephanie Salmons contributed to this story.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
No threat? You guys built houses between the lava flows of 1955 and 1960, in the path of decline. Lava central, it was just matter of time.
does anyone find it interesting that Mayor kim bought his property in 1971 for $5000 when the development was just beginning….can you say political GRAFT…CORRUPTION…or just developers largess?
In mid March the USGS/HVO warned Civil Defense that a eruption could happen in the vicinity of Leilani Est. Five weeks ago it happened and now the Mayor is saying there was no threat in three days?
the USGS are a bunch of killer clowns dressed up in aloha shirts and 60’s hippie beards and proves that science is not an exact science…but only a parable on disaster
You left that came down from their Pakalolo Fields when they heard there was government graft to be had!
Kim’s statement makes him look like an idiot. This entire area is and has been an active zone. His house was right in the middle of two relatively recent flows. It’s lava zone 1 and 2! Insurance is limited in this area yet some seem to claim this was not expected. I guess some have different versions of risk and those same people seem to always want others to fund their bad decisions based upon their version of risk.
Kim, from a 2008 SFGATE article in which he described having a home in Kapoho: “It’s a safe bet that if you own land in zones one or two, and possibly zone three, your land will be inundated by lava at some point… (but) (a)nywhere you build on Earth, you’re always going to have to face some hazard.”
Think that by “no threat,” Kim meant “no *imminent* threat.” So the “three days” thing was simply a comment on how rapidly the situation changed, and how quickly the lava moved.
Kim, from a 2008 SFGATE article in which he described having a home in Kapoho: “It’s a safe bet that if you own land in zones one or two, and possibly zone three, your land will be inundated by lava at some point… (but) (a)nywhere you build on Earth, you’re always going to have to face some hazard.”
True, but if you choose to build a house on railroad tracks, there’s more than a hazard your house will be hit by a train.
Money and power.
From Cooper and Daws, in “Land and Power in Hawaii: The Democratic Years” (2002), Chapter 8: “Hawaii: Subdividing Lava Fields”: “Most of the (Big Island’s) most influential legislators of the 1960s and 1970s were involved with companies doing speculative subdivisions, as partners, corporate officers, shareholders or attorneys.”
When you look at the names associated with developments like Royal Gardens, Leilani Estates, Vacationland, Kapoho Beach Lots, etc., it’s pretty hilarious to see the spider web of all of the politicians, their family members and friends in various positions of government power.
As one example: Norman Inaba developed Royal Gardens, Leilani Estates, Milolii Beach Lots, etc. His attorney was (later Gov.) George Ariyoshi… Sen. Richard Henderson was his partner in Leilani Estates… his brother Goro Inaba was on the State Land Use Commission… his brother Yoshio Inaba was Hawaii Cty.’s Chief Engineer… his investors included (later Mayor) Herb Matayoshi’s parents, Arthur Ishimoto (State Civil Defense Dir.)… etc., etc.
LMFAO…of course the politicians were all on the take…what else to you expect them to do…they came to government to make their fortune and ended up as multi-millionaries and multiple property owners…remember Okabe’s wife owns property in the Kapolo beach lots…nothing in Hawaii ever changes…only the names…and the dishonest politicians wives and relatives who own the so called “aina”
Is it really that much different today? Take Eoff for example….the need to dig deeper into that rat!
Great book! Exposes much bad about “Players” in Hawaii and still continues today.
Must be cheap real estate: Location, location, and location. It’s a fool’s paradise.
We should do everything we can to help all these poor people
Especially those who are poor.
Maybe even tax the higher income residents a few percent more to pay.
I love all people
me too…I love all people…but then I suggest you send all your earnings to the county government and become a wage slave and homeless..remember you can now get free housing in village 9 right in kona…next the that ugly monstrosity called the county court house.
I prefer Hilo.
It does not have all those snooty republican christians like Kona does!
You mean the Kona citizens that subsidizes the poor town of Hilo with tax dollars? Gotcha
Yes. Please work more cause I deserve more.
Why do you deserve more?
Because.
Helping the poor rebuild is the right thing to do. As they come out of shock and sadness they will be stronger. The aloha spirit here will win. I do not think that more taxation is the right thing to do but I would say that making sure our idiot city/county/state government officials put the money in their hands to get them rebuilt should be a priority. They should be looking to other areas on high ground to subdivide and start building immediately! They can go with the habitat for humanity model where the residents all help each other build their homes to help keep costs down. Cut out the bureaucratic bullshit and quickly push forward. No major long term studies just do it!
I agree but in Hawaii? Good luck with that. This state is so wound tight in its own bureaucracy it will never be able to get out of its own way. More taxes coming!
Though not specifically aimed at these people who’ve lost their homes per se, they’re pushing thru the (regressive) GET tax increase directly in reaction to the effects of the eruption. So there’s the higher taxes… but in a form that arguably hurts the poor even more.
The loss of the bay is the sad part of this all….it was a gem that will not be replaced in our lifetimes.
Count your blessing.