One year ago on March 11 in Japan, the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded unleashed a tsunami that spanned across the Pacific.
The largest of the tsunami waves hitting Hawaii in the early morning hours marked as high as 15 feet. Forty-three homes in the state were damaged or destroyed. The Big Island was the hardest hit.
"It looked like the water came right this way and just swooped the whole house back. If you can see right where the orange container is at, that’s where the original foundation of the house was at," said Shane Nelson, a resident of Kealakekua Bay Resort.
At Kealakekua Bay, homes were pushed completely off their foundations, cars had been tossed around like toys and debris was everywhere.
"Yeah it was a really tough day. It was chaotic; it changed the lives of many people down here in the village," Nelson said.
Nelson says "we’re starting to rebuild – the garage has been fixed, we’ve cleaned-up a little bit more. It’s still kind of ongoing."
The tsunami wiped Kelly Edwards’ three story, five bedroom home clean off its foundation.
"I was in absolute shock. My friend said my house was absolutely gone," Edwards said.
She was in California at the time, but the images still haunt her. "It just hits you all over again, it’s really fresh."
She’s in talks with her insurance company, and hopes to one day have a home here again to retire. "We want to be able to move on."
Gordon Leslie’s home is next door. "This building and this building were way over there, one was on top of the other, that’s why the roof was all damaged."
After the tsunami it was almost unrecognizable. "There were some unsettling times when you realized you’re houseless."
Support from hundreds of friends, family and even strangers helped him to pick up the pieces. Some of his valuables were spared, like wooden paddles and Hawaiian warrior artwork.
"Finances were a little tough as well, getting insurance, and FEMA and all of that stuff, it was just really tough to just rebuild completely."
Slowly they’ve started to build new, this time higher off the ground.
"We’re still picking up and moving," he says, moving on after a disaster. Now as a stronger, closer community.
Stay tuned Wednesday night at 10 for our revisit to Kailua-Kona and to see how businesses along tsunami-flooded Alii Drive have recovered.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
