Update: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – 10:30 a.m. (MT)
As floodwaters recede across the Hawaiian Islands, local leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints report a coordinated effort to meet urgent needs and begin cleanup in the hardest-hit areas, including Lāʻie.
According to Church Newsroom, Church parking lots across affected communities are now serving as distribution points for water, food, and fuel, with members working alongside neighbors to provide immediate relief. The storm significantly damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes across Oʻahu’s North Shore, as well as parts of Maui and Molokaʻi.
“Following historic flooding across the North Shore of Oʻahu, we have witnessed a powerful outpouring of unity, service and compassion,” said Steven Nawahine, a local Church leader in Lāʻie. “From the earliest hours, individuals of all ages responded to help those in need. These acts reflect the Christlike love and resilience that define our community.”
Nawahine emphasized that the response extends beyond local efforts. “We are deeply grateful for the support received, both locally and from beyond our area,” he said. “As recovery continues, we remain committed to caring for one another and moving forward together with faith and hope.”
Church-supported institutions in Lāʻie have also resumed normal operations. Brigham Young University–Hawaii has restarted classes, and the Polynesian Cultural Center has reopened following the storm.
Preparations at Church headquarters are under way to provide additional emergency funding and humanitarian aid to support ongoing recovery efforts. Leaders also invite those who wish to help to contribute through the Church’s humanitarian fund or participate in upcoming JustServe opportunities.
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Tuesday, March 24, 2026 – 8:00 p.m. (MT)
OAHU, Hawaii — The worst flooding Hawaii has seen in more than two decades tore through Oahu’s North Shore last week, pushing rivers into neighborhoods, forcing evacuations, and leaving entire communities—including Lāʻie—under water.
State officials warned the damage could exceed $1 billion, with homes, roads, and public infrastructure hit hard after 8 to 12 inches of rain fell on already saturated ground, according to KSL reporting. More than 200 people required rescue as rising water trapped families overnight, and officials even feared a potential dam failure at the height of the storm.
But in Lāʻie—a small coastal town with outsized significance for Latter-day Saints—there is a clear point of relief amid the destruction: the Church’s major properties appear to have been spared serious damage.
While the grounds are certainly waterlogged, BYU Hawaii campus, the Laie Hawaii Temple, and the Polynesian Cultural Center all appear intact.
“Water up to My thigh”
The flooding hit fast. David Juett, a senior missionary serving in Lāʻie, described fleeing his apartment at 1:30 a.m. as water surged inside.
“Rain pouring down on us and water up to my thigh,” he wrote in a Facebook post, noting that within minutes, rising water forced him and his wife out of their home. Inside, even their emergency backpack—carefully placed by the door—was knocked into the flood as water rushed in.
Still, Juett’s reflection struck a familiar tone of faith and steadiness. “The Lord was with us,” he wrote. “The work goes on…God is good.”
Church leaders in the Hawaii Laie Mission confirmed the scale of disruption while emphasizing safety. President and Sister Hicken reported that all young missionaries were accounted for and safe, with no flooding in their apartments.
Several senior missionaries were displaced, however, after floodwaters caused significant damage to their housing.
A Town Under Water
Images and firsthand accounts from the weekend show how quickly Lāʻie was overwhelmed. Drone footage shared by Facebook page NewMexico Pearl shows flooding near the temple, Brigham Young University–Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center.
The caption accompanying that footage notes, “Water pushed through hard, and a lot of homes took on flooding.”
The broader context underscores the severity. According to KSL, officials described the storm as the most serious flooding event in Hawaii since 2004, driven by a winter storm system, known locally as Kona low, that delivered relentless rainfall across the islands.
Even as waters began to recede in some areas, emergency officials warned that saturated ground meant any additional rain could quickly trigger new flooding.
Immediate Response in Lāʻie
As soon as the water began to drop, the response began. In Lāʻie, that response centered around familiar ground: the Church.
Community members quickly turned the Lāʻie chapel—located near the temple—into a distribution point for food and supplies. Social media posts directed those in need to the site, where free meals and essentials were made available.
“Food and supplies available in Laie right now,” Isaac Scharsch wrote in a social media update, urging residents to spread the word quickly. “There is plenty of free food at the Laie Chapel by the temple for anyone in need.”
Efforts extended beyond the island’s North Shore. In a Facebook post, Sharlee Mullins Glenn said her daughter, Erica Glenn, who teaches at BYU–Hawaii and was in Honolulu when the worst flooding hit, was buying food and supplies there and making sure they were delivered to Lāʻie for students and residents.
Within hours, informal networks of aid had formed—neighbors helping neighbors, students helping students, and Church members stepping in wherever gaps appeared. Glenn later updated that same post: “Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity! No further donations are needed at this time. We’ll provide information soon about credible organizations that are meeting longer term needs.”
Polynesian Cultural Center Mobilizes
The Polynesian Cultural Center quickly became one of the most visible organized relief hubs. In a March 23 post, the Polynesian Cultural Center said many of its employees were among those directly affected by the flooding.
Despite that, staff and volunteers moved quickly to support the wider community. The center said drive-through efforts offering hot meals and essential supplies had been organized in several locations, including at the Polynesian Cultural Center itself.
Employees “showed resilience and aloha, continuing to support one another and the community,” the center shared, highlighting the dual reality facing Lāʻie—significant personal loss paired with rapid, coordinated service.
What Members Want to Know
For Latter-day Saints watching from afar, three key realities have come into focus.
- First: the flooding in Lāʻie was severe and disruptive. Homes flooded, missionaries were displaced, and the community faces a long cleanup.
- Second: the Church’s major properties—the Laie Hawaii Temple, BYU–Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center—appear to have avoided major damage, even as surrounding areas took heavy losses.
- And third: those same institutions have already become part of the recovery.
From chapels serving as food distribution centers to the Polynesian Cultural Center organizing large-scale relief, the Church’s presence in Lāʻie has shifted quickly from landmark to lifeline.
“Start Cleaning Up and Helping Our Neighbors”
As skies cleared intermittently and waters began to recede, the focus turned to what comes next. State leaders warned that recovery will take time, with damage assessments still ongoing and infrastructure repairs expected to stretch on for weeks or months, according to KSL.
But on the ground in Lāʻie, the tone has already shifted toward rebuilding. Cleanup efforts began across the community as residents returned to assess damage and begin recovery.
Kathleen Pahinui, who evacuated her Waialua home due to dam concerns, told the Associated Press, as reported by KSL, “Hopefully if we make it through today, then tomorrow will dawn bright and sunny. And then everyone can start moving slowly back in, and we can start to resume normal and start cleaning up and helping our neighbors.”
That spirit—practical, immediate, and outward-focused—now defines the story in Lāʻie.
Share your support and prayers for those impacted in the comments below.
Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.
