HONOLULU (KHON2) — Waimanalo Country Farms is known for its sunflower fields that provide a perfect backdrop, but the recent Kona low storm has left a mess behind.
The family-owned and operated farms said their prized possession was destroyed.
“If you look at the fields there’s no aisle anymore, because all the flowers are twisted and knocked down,” said Cheyenne Adams, Waimanalo Country Farms. “A lot of them are flat in the middle, because the winds came down the mountain and just flattened it.”
The farm said, this is the worst damage it has seen in recent years from a storm. The wind was so strong, the fence and other items were blown away.
“We couldn’t even walk in the fields for one, it was completely flooded. If you even tried to walk you would completely sink,” Adams said.
Waimanalo Country Farms said, the recent storm wasn’t the only round of wet weather that put a damper on their reopening.
“We were supposed to open Mother’s day weekend, but because of the prior cloudiness and rain that we had even then it stunted all the actual growth and blooms,” Adams said.
The farm is only open to the public a few months out of the year and this is the peak time for visitors. Waimanalo Country Farms is looking on the bright side as some of the sunflower fields were spared. The farm will open to the public on Saturday.
“It kind of set us back a little bit, but we’re just hoping that when we do finally open, people want to still come,” Adams said.
From damaged crops to clearing out vegetation and patching potholes. The State Transportation Department is also cleaning up after the storm.
“We’re in the hundreds of potholes that our crews have been recovering from,” said Ed Sniffen, Hawaii Department of Transportation Director. “We have five crews out going from yesterday, today and into tomorrow. You’re also going to see some of the vegetation growing out a lot more than it normally does. We’ll cut it back to make sure there’s sight distance in those areas.”
The City said it received a handful of damage calls from businesses and residents. If residents need assistance due to damage from the Kona low storm system, they can call the Red Cross at 800-733-2767.