There’s a week left of camping season, and yet dozens of Native Hawaiian families at Puhi Bay on Friday had already packed things up.
There’s a week left of camping season, and yet dozens of Native Hawaiian families at Puhi Bay on Friday had already packed things up.
Earlier in the day, officials from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands — which maintains jurisdiction over the land — visited twice. They instructed campers to temporarily leave, a precaution as Tropical Storm Darby approached.
Some had entirely broken down their campsites erected along the scenic Keaukaha shoreline since May. Others simply moved valuables and loose belongings into their car, all the while reinforcing tent stakes, securing tarps and keeping a close eye on nearby ocean swells.
“For us, we came here to camp,” said Dustin Ahia-Vincent, seated in his car with his girlfriend, infant son and friend, all planning to return as soon as possible. “We’re not going to let the weather send us away. That’s not how it is.”
The National Weather Service on Friday forecast the storm to bring heavy rainfall, wind gusts surpassing 60 miles per hour, and surf up to 25 feet on the island’s east-facing shores. Hawaii County Civil Defense urged the public to be “storm ready” and have adequate supply of emergency items and basic necessities, should power be lost or access blocked.
Hilo resident Evangelin Mendes did just that. Mendes said she stocked up on spare batteries, ice, blankets and flashlights. On Friday, she gazed out at rough swells near Richardson Ocean Park for likely one of the last times in the coming days — she said she plans to stay inland for the weekend.
Residents Mary and Harry Harlow originally wanted to make a Costco run Friday to Kailua-Kona but changed their plans once they got word of the storm. There was no need to stock up on perishable items should power be lost, Harry Harlow said.
Instead, they made a food run in town to secure 4-gallon jugs of water, energy bars, crackers and other nonperishables “to nosh on” in the event of emergency, he said.
“It didn’t seem like a good idea to be running around all day,” Harry Harlow said. “We’re hanging in this weekend just to be safe.”
Cost-U-Less in Hilo saw a steady stream of storm preppers starting Thursday, store manager Mike Kelley said. By noon Friday, shelves remained well-stocked, and the warehouse appeared about as busy as usual. However, Kelley said certain items — toilet paper, canned meat and water — were clearing shelves faster than usual.
“We’ve got plenty supply of everything, as you can see,” Kelley said, gesturing around the store. “Sales on those items have definitely been more than normal, but no one is in panic mode.”
All state and county park facilities are closed today as a precaution. On Friday, lifeguards had already sectioned off a portion of Richardson’s popular among beach frolickers and known to get the brunt of big waves. Even still, a handful of surfers braved the water to get a last-minute ride before the storm hit.
Nearby, a snorkel tour group staked out a picnic table facing the ocean. The group changed its original plans to snorkel and instead was enjoying the water from a distance, one of the group’s leaders said.
Kevin Leung, visiting Hilo from San Francisco, said the tropical storm also altered his family’s two-day trip plans. The family originally planned to visit Hilo Farmers Market today, which also was closed as a precaution.
Conditions could improve starting Sunday, when the storm is forecast to continue moving west. At that point, campers can also return to Puhi Bay.
That’s what Ahia-Vincent said he plans to do.
“We’re leaving our tent because we’ll be back next week,” the 24-year-old said Friday. “We still got one week of summer left.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.