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Help Restore Paul's music studio & home after flooding
0% complete
$10,510 raised of
103 donations
Our names are Kelly and Paul, and we live with our family on a small 3.5-acre farm in Waimānalo, Hawaiʻi. Our home and farm are not only where we live, but where we farm and make a livelihood for our family. It is also where Paul works as a professional musician and where we host events for our community.
On the morning of March 14, after the first Kona Low storms moved through our area, we woke up to something we never expected. There was about a foot of standing water in our downstairs bedroom.
This room was not just a bedroom. It was also Paul’s music studio where he stores all of his instruments and sound equipment used for his work and for events on our farm. Overnight, rising groundwater had seeped up through the foundation, submerging everything that was on the floor. We had no warning. We stepped into the room that morning to find it filled with water and loss.
We immediately began removing everything and siphoning the water out by hand, doing what we could to dry the space. But the following week, after a second Kona Low storm, the room flooded again. This has led us to believe there is a deeper foundation issue that we are not equipped to diagnose or repair on our own.
We do not have flood insurance, and our homeowners insurance does not cover this type of damage. We are now facing the full financial impact of this situation.
Funds raised will go directly toward:
- Removing and replacing damaged interior materials in the room
- Water and mold remediation to make the space safe again
- Hiring professionals, including a structural or foundation specialist, to identify and repair the source of the water intrusion.
- Replacing over $15,000 worth of music equipment that Paul relies on for his livelihood and for events we host on the farm.
At this time, the room is unsafe and unusable, and we are having to keep our family out of a space that was both part of our home and an important part of our work.
While the rest of the farm made it through the storms relatively well, we are still addressing erosion and drainage issues, including replacing washed gravel from our roads, to prevent further damage.
We are asking for support to help us restore this space so it can once again be safe for our family and allow Paul to rebuild his music studio.
Any support means so much to us. If you are not able to give, sharing this with others is deeply appreciated.
Mahalo for your support and care during this time.