Farmers in Kona calls for action by county after Big Island Earthquake
By Angela Cifone
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HONOLULU (KITV) — When the earthquake struck, one local farmer says the damage inside his home was immediate.
“Everything that was glass or breakable was on the floor, broken. So took us a long time to even get outside to see what was going on,” said Colehour Bondera, a Farmer at Kanalani Ohana Farm.
But it wasn’t until he stepped outside that he discovered an even bigger problem.
“I heard water, and I lost my composure for a minute, because I knew it wasn’t raining,” said Bondera.
He followed the sound and found his farm’s water catchment tank had burst.
“I also knew at that moment there was nothing I was going to do about it, so I didn’t even look at it again. I just let it be, but I could tell from the flow of water that it was all history,” said Bondera.
Like hundreds of other residents who rely on catchment systems, he suddenly found himself without a reliable water supply.
He says finding replacement materials wasn’t easy and believes county officials need to be more proactive when disasters strike.
“I just think that we need sort of better emergency response capacity and treat an emergency like it’s an emergency,” said Bondera.
More than 150 people attended a community meeting at Yano Hall in South Kona last week to discuss recovery efforts.
Big Island Mayor Kimo Alameda says the county is working to connect residents with resources while pursuing additional funding.
“We’re kind of like the liaison; the county serves as a middle person, but we’re also looking for funding as well. States willing to help us, and so we’re exploring opportunities for funding,” said Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda.
The mayor says the county is helping residents access water, replacement liners, and federal assistance programs, while also reviewing lessons learned from this event.
“It’s a team approach, working with our residents, our farmers, with the county, but you know, the state and the feds, like we all got to work together to make sure that we’re ready for any disaster, including an earthquake,” said Alameda.
For some, the most reliable support so far is neighbors helping neighbors.
”I think in the shorter term, to answer your question, it has to just be community support, because there’s nothing else we can rely on,” said Bondera.
As recovery continues, many farmers say that community spirit may be their most valuable resource.
For more information, you can check out GHawai Farm Bureau at hfbf.org.
This is the website to submit comments and concerns to the county.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/mayor/comments-and-concerns
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