I want to thank everyone who visits this site for the wonderful
email messages I keep getting. This is amazing that 7 years after the storm,
people still talk about it. There are still TV specials about it. The other
night in Texas on the Discovery Channel, I saw the amazing survival saga
of friends Kurt and Katrama. Kurt was severely cut by large shards of glass
propelled by Iniki, and lost a lot of blood. His training in Yoga literally
saved his life as he willed his entire metabolism to slow down until the
hurricane had passed and he could get medical treatment. I have just recently
had enough time to put a few more photos up.
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This photo captured the last few "normal" moments of 1992 and 1993 too for that matter. The storm had begun and the kids were energized by all the excitement. Needless to say, they didn't play outside much longer. |
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Standing where the kids were playing above, Mom shows the look of Post Iniki Stress Syndrome as she poses. I call this P.I.S.S., but she was mad at me for taking photos and not helping her clean up. |
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This photo is just outside the Prince Clubhouse at the very end of the bizarre rampage. The wind was still gusting a bit. Notice the ballwasher on the ground with all the tile fragments. Believe it or not there were some asshole tourists who were literally angry that they couldn't play golf the day after Iniki! There were big chunks of houses in the fairways on the Makai Course. I recommended they go give blood or look for bodies. In the manner of true jerks, they said the storm spoiled their trip. I literally had to be restrained. |
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This photo was taken at about 7:20 am the day after in the driveway in front of the Prince. What a mess. |
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God Bless the United States Military! This is the Alfa Animal Pit field kitchen where Princeville residents gathered every evening to eat Army chow and hold each other together. Spirits were low at first. There were stories of suicides and residents having disappeared. Some tragically were true. These gatherings were a large part of the healing process. These National Guard guys were like tonic to the survivors. I suppose we looked like shit at first. They could tell we all needed some humor and TLC. They provided it in spades. In addition, where the military was encamped was the only place on the island cleared of glass so the kids could really play. The food? Compared to the MREs, this was great stuff. There may be better places to get Kalua Pig, but what these guys brought to Kauai was priceless. God Bless 'em |
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The world was definitely upside down after Iniki. This is "Tent City Princeville." These tents housed insurance reps, FEMA, Red Cross, Salvation Army, SBA, and any number of disaster gadflies, storm chasers, hurricane groupies, and camp followers. Some of the FEMA guys were having a great time as they had just come from Andrew in Florida. I used to see them in their little rented convertibles cruising the north shore. I suppose even in the shape it was in Kauai still looked pretty good to them. This is also where "the Iniki Game" was born. Many people started figuring out there was money to be made off of this disaster and by God money was made. The warm caring feeling of having survived evolved into a new form of entepreneurship. |
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This is 100 year old china in pieces at my house. I thought it would be OK in the huge china cabinet locked up. It was too, until the house exploded. |
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The owner of this house lived on the mainland, and had recently finished construction on it. When he arrived from California, he literally stood in the street and cried. He also vowed to rebuild. He did too. A great house stands there now. |