robguz24
08-14-2014, 09:49 PM
It hasn't really made the national news. Probably because nobody died. But 1 week ago Hurricane Iselle hit our island and was downgraded to a Tropical Storm at the last minute, preserving the fact that the Big Island has never been hit by a hurricane in recorded history. The last update before I lost my power showed the center basically making landfall on my street. Instead it was about 15 miles east of me. It destroyed several homes, damaged at least 150, and has kept 20,000 people including myself without power and water for a week. It was initially 60,000 people, about 1/3 of the island but was under 30,000 in a couple days. This is the poorest area in the state. So it's not anywhere near as bad as it could have been, but it is hitting a lot of people financially who can't afford it.
I and most of my immediate neighbors are very fortunate to have no home damage and only minimal plant damage. And I am even more fortunate to have a generator. Virtually everyone in this area of 40,000 or so is on catchment or well water--so no power means no water. Of course, land lines, cable, internet, cell signals were and are mostly still down for 20,000.
Certainly many thousands of large invasive trees came down, taking with them thousands of power lines and at least 200 poles. For the first 4 days there were a total of 70 utility workers of any type out in the field trying to fix things, which was nowhere near enough for an area the size of the island of Oahu. About 4000 more people are getting power per day, but some areas are going to take a month.
Just thought I'd share my banana photos. I can't imagine how devastating it is in those parts of the world hit by major hurricanes who are dependent on their bananas to survive. I felt really great the next day by how little work I had to do. My weather station only clocked 30 mph max winds, but a neighbor down the road right on the ocean hit 54, and his station is better. It went on for 9 hours at night so I slept through most of it.
This is the coastal road near me. Normally no green on the street, and this was a stretch with no downed trees.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4533_zps31620275.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4533_zps31620275.jpg.html)
The ones on the left are all Gros Michel, and to their right Cuban Reds.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4511_zps94a67981.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4511_zps94a67981.jpg.html)
This big old Mysore bunch and it's largest pup got toppled. Too far from being ripe unfortunately.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4509_zps252ac00e.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4509_zps252ac00e.jpg.html)
My 1000 fingers (on the left), despite having thick trunks are in a very exposed area, and 2 of the biggest 3 went down. Was shocked to have the biggest bunch survive.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4512_zps71c70027.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4512_zps71c70027.jpg.html)
This is my 'Upehupehu and my supposed Pisang Raja, which are pretty thin stemmed. Those were all toast, while the 'Upehupehu just leaned.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4508_zps42fcb911.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4508_zps42fcb911.jpg.html)
The view of the Pisang Raja from my lanai. This used to block the view of my new lot, so now I can actually see it from my house!
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4506_zps9336d5e9.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4506_zps9336d5e9.jpg.html)
General view of the main yard from my lanai. Lots of shredding. None of my 3 A'ea'es were damaged. None of my rarest types were harmed, which was great.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_0051_zps1ba93f9e.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_0051_zps1ba93f9e.jpg.html)
The best thing to come out of this was a bike ride I took down the road a couple days after and met a guy working his banana patch who is a fellow banana enthusiast with about 35 types too. We both have several that neither have and will be getting together to swap keikis soon!
I and most of my immediate neighbors are very fortunate to have no home damage and only minimal plant damage. And I am even more fortunate to have a generator. Virtually everyone in this area of 40,000 or so is on catchment or well water--so no power means no water. Of course, land lines, cable, internet, cell signals were and are mostly still down for 20,000.
Certainly many thousands of large invasive trees came down, taking with them thousands of power lines and at least 200 poles. For the first 4 days there were a total of 70 utility workers of any type out in the field trying to fix things, which was nowhere near enough for an area the size of the island of Oahu. About 4000 more people are getting power per day, but some areas are going to take a month.
Just thought I'd share my banana photos. I can't imagine how devastating it is in those parts of the world hit by major hurricanes who are dependent on their bananas to survive. I felt really great the next day by how little work I had to do. My weather station only clocked 30 mph max winds, but a neighbor down the road right on the ocean hit 54, and his station is better. It went on for 9 hours at night so I slept through most of it.
This is the coastal road near me. Normally no green on the street, and this was a stretch with no downed trees.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4533_zps31620275.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4533_zps31620275.jpg.html)
The ones on the left are all Gros Michel, and to their right Cuban Reds.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4511_zps94a67981.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4511_zps94a67981.jpg.html)
This big old Mysore bunch and it's largest pup got toppled. Too far from being ripe unfortunately.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4509_zps252ac00e.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4509_zps252ac00e.jpg.html)
My 1000 fingers (on the left), despite having thick trunks are in a very exposed area, and 2 of the biggest 3 went down. Was shocked to have the biggest bunch survive.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4512_zps71c70027.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4512_zps71c70027.jpg.html)
This is my 'Upehupehu and my supposed Pisang Raja, which are pretty thin stemmed. Those were all toast, while the 'Upehupehu just leaned.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4508_zps42fcb911.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4508_zps42fcb911.jpg.html)
The view of the Pisang Raja from my lanai. This used to block the view of my new lot, so now I can actually see it from my house!
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4506_zps9336d5e9.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_4506_zps9336d5e9.jpg.html)
General view of the main yard from my lanai. Lots of shredding. None of my 3 A'ea'es were damaged. None of my rarest types were harmed, which was great.
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/b508/robguz24/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_0051_zps1ba93f9e.jpg (http://s1289.photobucket.com/user/robguz24/media/Hurricane%20Iselle/IMG_0051_zps1ba93f9e.jpg.html)
The best thing to come out of this was a bike ride I took down the road a couple days after and met a guy working his banana patch who is a fellow banana enthusiast with about 35 types too. We both have several that neither have and will be getting together to swap keikis soon!