Lahaina Recovery And The Dark Work Of Coming Back

For those who have experienced disasters and the process of recovery, this time of year brings forth some haunting truths. The television cameras have long turned from bearing witness to your tragedy, instead focusing on news of the day and holiday cheer. This is the case in Hawaii. Residents struggle to find housing and stability in the aftermath of the devastating Lahaina Fires that ravaged Maui. With the visually compelling chaos gone, the heavy work of rebuilding lives, communities, and infrastructure is just starting. As in the case of other disasters, less and lacking media attention can skew the perception of how long this process takes. The essence of recovery often unfolds far beyond the spotlight and tests the resilience of those impacted.

“It’s like, who invited you to the funeral? In your bathing suits and sipping on a Mai Tai when people are just trying to figure out how they’re going to survive physically, emotionally, materially, spiritually,” is a common refrain from residents trying to organize and reevaluate their lives adjacent to visitors coming to the beach for winter break. One of the trials of having a tourism based economy is deciding who can visit, under what circumstances and for how long. This was the case in New Orleans fifteen years ago, when restaurants reopened and Mardi Gras returned, but residents were still displaced. In that event, more than one-million people were displaced and the protracted recovery meant that many would never return. The tourists who came and loved the city stayed, raising housing prices and forever changing neighborhoods. “We somehow managed to create a worse housing system than we had pre-Katrina. More vulnerability. More housing insecurity,” Andreanecia Morris, Executive Director of Housing NOLA said in a November television interview. Many are worried this will also happen in Lahaina, where local residents were concerned about housing and land availability before the wildfires. Now they worry more will be lost to developers and wealthy vacationers.

Community advocates and leaders like Archie Kalepa, a Ninth Generation Lahaina resident, are working to mitigate this possibility as much as they can. They are planning a “Unity Gathering” in January to build collective advocacy efforts and offer support to survivors and residents. While the flames have been extinguished and the smoke has cleared, the scars left by the wildfires run deep. Kalepa’s initiative underscores the importance of collective support and solidarity in facing the daunting task ahead for both residents and officials.

The federal government has allocated $40 million for an emergency project aimed at preventing storm runoff from contaminating the ocean in Lahaina signifies a crucial step in the rebuilding process. There are also plans for a comprehensive capture system along parts of Honoapiilani Highway. This will help with some of the environmental impacts of the disaster. Starting public works projects also signify movement, which can be a boon to those working on the longer parts of the recovery process. Even with bright points, the enormity of the task is not lost on officials and planners. They predict a rebuilding period of five to ten years. Consultations on the rebuilding strategy are yet to commence, highlighting the intricate and inclusive process that lies ahead.

The complexity of rebuilding Lahaina is not merely about reconstructing physical infrastructure; it encompasses the revival of a community’s spirit, identity, and future. It is at this point in the recovery process where support and solidarity with communities is important. Supporting large organizations like the Red Cross is important, but there are many local community organizations that need contributions at all points of the year. With holiday ads and tourists on holiday reminding disaster-impacted citizens of what’s been lost, the support these organizations can provide is needed all the more. Mutual aid, youth-serving and housing organizations that offer long-term services often have deep relationships with communities and a better understanding of those needs than national and international organizations. To help these organizations, Maui County has set up a website to direct donations.

The aftermath of disasters serves as a poignant reminder that the most challenging phase of recovery unfolds after the television cameras have moved on. It’s a phase marked by resilience, determination, and a collective will to rebuild stronger and more resilient communities. It is also a time to remind communities that they are not alone.