U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda said Wednesday that the destruction in Ka‘u after Hurricane Lala underscores the need for Hawaii to rethink how it prepares for, responds to and recovers from natural disasters.

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Tokuda spent Monday and Tuesday on Hawaii Island, traveling by road to Na‘alehu Elementary School and later viewing the damage from the air. She said the school was among the hardest-hit facilities she has seen in recent disasters, including the Kona low storms and earthquakes.

Roads and bridges leading to Na‘alehu were covered with debris, with some sections difficult or impossible to pass, Tokuda said. At the school, flooding and debris caused extensive damage, including portable buildings being pushed off their foundations and water remaining on campus.

“The amount of damage at that particular school was significant,” Tokuda said.

Debris scattered across the school grounds showed the force of the floodwaters, she said. Dryers, freezers, refrigerators and other household items had been carried from nearby homes onto the campus.

“The nearest home was probably a football field away,” Tokuda said, describing the force of the water that swept through homes and carried personal belongings across the area.

Tokuda was unable to reach damaged homes on the ground but said aerial views showed widespread mud and flooding, as well as damage to homes, businesses and public spaces.

Tokuda said Hurricane Lala, following the Kona low storms, Maui wildfires and other disasters, should prompt a broader reassessment of Hawaii’s approach to disaster recovery.

She said rebuilding infrastructure exactly as it was before a disaster may not always make sense, particularly as communities face rising sea levels, flooding and erosion.

“We have to be smarter. We have to harden our infrastructure,” Tokuda said. “It’s penny-wise, pound-foolish … to think that we’ll just repair the way it was and we’ll be fine.”

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That could mean reassessing where roads and other critical infrastructure are located, examining water flows and erosion and determining whether some infrastructure should be relocated rather than rebuilt in the same vulnerable areas, she said.

Tokuda credits state and county road crews and contractors for clearing debris quickly. Roads that were difficult to navigate Monday looked dramatically different the following day, she said, allowing emergency vehicles and supplies to begin reaching heavily affected communities.

Tokuda said her office is working on a letter urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which could provide additional food assistance and ease eligibility requirements for people affected by the storm.

Tokuda also said her office is working with the state Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency over food spoiled when schools lost electricity. Even schools that were not flooded may have suffered significant losses because food in their kitchens could no longer be used.

DOE expects insurance and FEMA assistance to help recoup those losses, Tokuda said. The department did not respond to inquiries from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Farmers and ranchers also could benefit from recent changes to the Emergency Conservation Program, which allows up to 75% of eligible cost-share assistance to be provided up front for expenses such as debris removal, equipment replacement and seed.

Tokuda said the change is especially important for rural communities and small businesses that may not have enough cash to cover recovery expenses up front and wait for reimbursement. The goal is to help farmers and ranchers begin repairs and cleanup sooner without taking on additional debt or financial risk.

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