Ron and Sandi Mabry on the front lines of Kauai island flooding

A Front Royal couple who recently relocated to the tropical Pacific island of Kauai, part of the Hawaiian Islands chain, barely dodged one of the most devastating  rainstorms in Hawaii’s recent history on April 18. The state has budgeted $125 million for the cleanup.

Officially, 28 inches of rain fell in 24 hours on Kauai’s north shore, sending landslides down mountain slopes, washing out roads, collapsing dozens of homes, and cutting off hundreds of residents without water or power for days. More than 440 were evacuated by helicopter. The unofficial rainfall, because the rain gauge broke down, was estimated at 39 inches.

That was on the Garden Island’s north shore.

Ron and Sandi Mabry

Fortunately, Front Royal-born Ron Mabry, 65, and wife Sandi live on the island’s south shore and escaped the major damage caused by the unanticipated storm – the National Weather Service didn’t see it coming – and are now active in helping their besieged neighbors.

Sandi Mabry, once part of the Front Royal Family Practice on Royal Avenue, moved with her Veteran’s Administration job to the 50^th state in June 2016. Ron, well known in the Valley for his public service activities, joined her shortly thereafter upon retirement from his post as Town Treasurer and Director of Finance for the Town of Culpeper, Va. He recommenced his sterling career with Rotary, the Rotary Club of Poipu Beach, in Hawaii and today is helping in Kauai’s return to some degree of normalcy.

He said people remain trapped on the island’s north side. Community and church groups are taking donations of cash, food, clothing, and equipment. Rotary District 5000 (Hawaii) has established a donation link on its home page (www.rotaryd5000.org). The only south to north road to Kauai’s north shore remains washed out and boats and helicopters are being used to ferry supplies in, and trapped locals and tourists out, as the days go by.

Many roads on Kauai have been closed due to high flood waters. Photo / Hawaii Department of Transportation

Warren County residents who have included Kauai in past vacation itineraries will recall Hanalei Bay – once the location for parts of the movie “South Pacific” – as a favorite destination. The road to Hanalei is virtually wiped out and the state has earmarked $33 million to reconstruct it and its many feeder roads and single lane bridges which currently lie beneath thousands of pounds of mud and debris, according to the state’s on-line news service, Civil Beat.

“My Rotary club along with other community and church groups is assisting with clean up and other relief efforts,” Mabry said. He is the charter president of the Rotary Club of Linden (now Warren County) and District Governor of Rotary District 7570 which includes Virginia and part of Tennessee.

“The response from this community has been tremendous, both from individuals and businesses.”

He added: “Recovering and rebuilding efforts will be extensive on the north shore and it will take many, many months before some of the infrastructure is rebuilt.”

But he emphasized that the tourist industry continues with most resorts fully operational, particularly on the south end of the island “but if you have reservations or plans that include the north shore you should definitely check before leaving for your trip.”

Sandi, also an active Rotarian in Warren County, is a full time nurse practitioner who helps whenever possible but most of her hours are dedicated to aiding active duty or retired veterans of the armed services. She is best remembered in Front Royal for her work with wounded vets.

(Contributing writer Malcolm Barr Sr. lived and worked in Hawaii as a military correspondent with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the Associated Press during the 1960s. He visited the islands in February of this year.)