I only bring up the subject of hurricanes because my parents were just recently preparing for one to hit Maui. It was down graded to a tropical storm but still caused some much needed rain for the island.
Many massive hurricanes have hit the islands but the one I remember the most is - Hurricane Iwa. It hit Kaua'i during Thanksgiving in 1982, I was twelve years old. Yes, I just gave my age away - for those of you still trying to calculate, I will be 39 this year and next year, and the year after that!
Well, electricity was out for about 3 weeks where we lived but fortunately we had a gas stove/oven and were able to cook our thanksgiving dinner. We actually cooked a lot of other people's turkeys too. I remember our house being full of people, some related, some not. We played cards near the kerosene latern, took showers by flashlight, hand washed our clothes with a scrubboard and a big metal tub. . . . it was quite an experience. As a kid, I didn't mind it at all, it was fun!
Once the road ways where clear and we were able to drive around the island well, that was just devastating. To see our family and friends who lost everything, it still brings tears to my eyes. Houses flattened, beaches gone. . . .
