Oahu, Hawaii
Hawaii Relief – Tropical Storm Iselle
August 2014 – August 2014
AHAH responded to Tropical Storm Iselle in Hawaii by providing immediate relief and cleanup support to impacted communities on the Big Island.
Disaster Profile
Big Island Communities Struggling After Tropical Storm Iselle
In the early hours of Friday, August 8, 2014, Tropical Storm Iselle made landfall in the Puna district of the Big Island, an area approximately 25 minutes south of Hilo. Although reports were slow to surface due to downed power lines and roadways choked by fallen trees, it became clear that significant damage occurred from high winds, flooding and mudslides.
Our Response
Connecting Volunteers and Families Through Project Hawaii
Our Assessment Team was in place less than 12 hours after Iselle hit and primarily focused on the Big Island to assist our local partners by establishing and running the Volunteer Resource Center (VRC), where we connected local volunteers to those who needed help, and to the local organizations mobilizing to assist the affected communities.
In the two and a half weeks of Project Hawaii, our team registered almost 150 local volunteers and processed over 350 work requests, two-thirds of which were completed through the joint efforts of local volunteers, community members and our partner organizations. We provided a crucial link between those who needed assistance and all of the volunteers and organizations that wanted to help them.