Department of Defense

Operation Kokua: HING leads joint effort to help flood victims

By Spc. Jonathan M. Shiroma

As the sun rose on Tuesday, November 5, it seemed everyone was ready for the day. After all, it was general election day ’96 and after months of campaigning, candidates and voters were ready to head to polling places to cast their votes.

That’s when mother nature pulled a surprise, a surprise that even caught meteorologists off guard.

A weather system comprised of thick and heavy rain clouds had begun to move over the islands from the south … specifically over Kauai and Oahu and it seemed as if in perfect unison, as the doors of the polling places opened, so did the floodgates.

The rain came down in droves throughout the day, not letting up for even a brief period. Governor Cayetano even extended voting hours by an hour at some polling places as a result of the rains.

The elections lasted one day. The rain lasted two weeks.

In its aftermath, the floods caused millions of dollars of damages especially in the Waianae, Leeward and Haleiwa sections of Oahu.

Help was needed and needed fast. Residents in the flooded areas had swimming pools in what was once their living rooms.

President Clinton arrived in Hawaii on Nov. 14 for a brief vacation and saw the direct results of the floods.

Upon request of Governor Cayetano, the President declared the state a major disaster area, providing $5 million for emergency relief. That’s where the Hawaii National Guard stepped in.

Operation Kokua was set up to help affected residents in the flooded areas. Mission: Clear and remove debris and hazardous material left in the wake of the most destructive flood since 1987.

A volunteer force of Hawaii National Guard soldiers and airmen, state, city and county personnel, and active duty soldiers and sailors would spend the next two week ends cleaning up the effects of the flood.

“I felt bad for these people,” said PFC Alan Pascua, “And that’s why I volunteered to help, it gives us a chance to do something for the community, for those who were less fortunate than others. Especially with the holidays approaching.” Pascua is with the 298th Engineering Detachment and as a civilian works as a construction worker.

“Although it means giving up a couple of weekends, it feels good to help these people out,” said SPC. Donald Thigpen of 2nd platoon, 227th Engineering. “Personally, I wasn’t affected too much by the floods, so to see what happened to others makes me feel bad. If we can make life better for them just a little bit, it’s worth it.” Thigpen is self employed in civilian life.

Earlier, the state health department had issued several health advisories including one that warned of the dangers of stagnant water which could breed diseases such as hepatitis and leptospirosis.

“I have instructed my men to wear safety gear to prevent them from getting into direct contact with these viral threats,” said Staff Sgt. Dennis Vigue, a platoon Sgt. with the 227th Engineering Detachment. “Rubber gloves and protective masks are being issued to all personnel in order to ensure safety,” he said.

With that, the soldiers and airmen took to the highways and byways to help residents with a variety of events including picking up debris and shoveling away mud.

“We are so grateful to these men and women who are helping us out today,” said Nanalculi resident Jennie Donner. Donner’s home was one of the many devastated by the floods. “Just seeing them come out and help people they don’t know, that touches us. That’s the real spirit of aloha.”

“We definitely needed the help,” said Quinn Robinson, whose home is located right next to the Hakimo Bridge. “The water was gushing so bad, it over flowed and came into my yard and brought everything from everywhere. We tried to clean as much as we could, it was just too much for us,” he said.

– 1996 December Pūpūkahi pp. 1 & 3

Command Notes

Beginning November 5, record setting torrential rains caused a serious landslide in Malcaha and flooding in areas of Oahu’s north shore and Waianae coast. HING personnel assisted with Governor Cayetano’s tour of flood damaged areas, drew up emergency evacuation plans for Malcaha Valley Towers in case of another landslide, and delivered Department of Health flyers to area residents. Governor Cayetano tasked the Hawaii National Guard (HING) to lead and coordinate “Operation Kokua”, the major cleanup ofWaianae, Maili, Nanakuli and Haleiwa following the severe flooding in these areas. The Operation Kokua task force, commanded by the 201 st Combat Communications Group’s Col. Myron Dobashi, put together a formidable team. It was a great joint effort involving a large HING contingent, State, City and County, and active-duty military personnel. For two consecutive weekends, the operation cleared storm debris, flood damaged household items and hazardous materials that could pose a health, sanitation and environmental threat to area residents. Almost 750 truckloads, or about 1.8 million pounds of debris and rubbish was hauled away from flood-soaked neighborhoods. The cleanup was a huge success and I am very proud of the tremendous response from all of those who volunteered for the State Active Duty mission. Acknowledgments go to team leaders Col. Dick Hastings, Lt. Col. Ray Jardine and Maj. Greg Burgess. Well done!

– 1996 December Pūpūkahi pp. 2 & 3

Hawaii Air National Guard

When the call came to help our local communities on the Leeward coast, our people didn’t hesitate. We had more volunteers than needed to help make Operation Kokua a success for the people ofMaili, W aianae, and Makaha. In so doing our people demonstrated their flexibility to take on any mission, federal or state, and perform in an outstanding manner.

– 1996 December Pūpūkahi pp. 6

The State Civil Defense system worked well during the November 1996 floods that impacted all islands. The initial response and recovery effort was effective and involved all levels of government. The Hawaii National Guard (HING) worked above and beyond the call of duty, after parts of Oahu were declared a disaster area in November 1996. From November 5-16, 1996, rainstorms produced the worst flooding on Oahu in 10 years. HING members were called to State active duty from November 17 to December 1, to help their neighbors clean up in the aftermath of the flooding. A total of 165 Hawaii Army National Guard (HIARNG) and 138 Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG) members were deployed during “Operation Kokua,” with the mission of removing contaminated debris and distributing health-hazard warnings to citizens. Over 1.6 million pounds of debris was removed from Maili, Waianae, Makaha, Nanakuli on the leeward coast, and in the Haleiwa and Waialua area on the north shore.

– 1997 Annual Report pp. 21

During the first weeks of November 1996, torrential rain fell on the Waianae coast and north shore of the island of Oahu. The resulting flooding devastated local farmers and businesses and soon posed a growing health threat to area residents. Under the auspices of Operation KOKUA, HIARNG units and personnel were heavily involved in the operational planning, coordination of relief agencies, and the actual removal of over 1.6 million pounds of flood debris.

– 1997 Annual Report pp. 21

Hawaii Air National Guard personnel were mobilized on State Active Duty in November 1996 for the largest disaster-relief operation in Hawaii, since Hurricane Iniki struck in 1992. From Nov. 19-30, 1996, the 154th Wing and the 201st personnel and equipment from Oahu units supported Operation KOKUA, a State of Hawaii public health emergency caused by severe flooding from extremely heavy rains in early November. The flooding primarily affected the Waianae and Haleiwa districts on the island of Oahu. More than 730 truckloads of debris weighing in excess of 1.6 million pounds, were removed from these areas to alleviate the health hazards to the thousands of residents.

– 1997 Annual Report pp. 21

Record rains, flooding on Oahu in November. Record rains on Oahu over Nov. 5-17, 1996, caused severe problems for portions of the island. Some rain gages topped 100-year totals, as over 20 inches of rain was recorded in a 12-hour period in some areas. Farmers and growers were hard hit by water damage, as were local homeowners and businesses. As the rains receded, Operation KOKUA was launched to clean up debris and standing water. The effort netted over 1.6 million pounds of debris and 96 abandoned vehicles in two sweeps carried out over Nov. 23 and 30 on the leeward coast and north shore. Damages were estimated in excess of $12 million, with over $2 million in repairs to public facilities. Sixty-eight Oahu homes reported minor damage, and six reported major damage. Coupled with economic losses, damages on Oahu could top $20 million or more.

– 1997 Annual Report pp. 21