‘Lives are devastated’: Extent of damages from South Kona quake continue to come into focus

New and additional details were reported Tuesday, May 26, about damages caused by the major magnitude-6.0 earthquake that struck shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, May 22, in South Kona on the west side of the Big Island.

Hawai‘i County Civil Defense told Honolulu media outlet KHON2 on Tuesday, May 26, that it had received 143 damage reports from the temblor, 34 of which were from properties with major damage — including 5 homes destroyed.

Foundation issues were suffered by those destroyed homes.

Konawaena Elementary School third-grade teacher Grayce Ray and her family — including her husband who is a nurse at Kona Community Hospital and son who just graduated from University of Hawai‘i at Hilo — are some of those severely impacted by the earthquake.

“Our dry stack foundation, [built] around 1950, toppled down into our basement. We have cracks in the ceiling and floor and our doors won’t close.” said Ray in a Tuesday email to Big Island Now. “We’re not sure if the structure can be saved or how we are going to afford the repairs. We just heard back from our insurance agency, who [says] that we didn’t have earthquake coverage on our policy.”

The county told the O‘ahu media outlet that it is working with Vibrant Hawai‘i and American Red Cross to help those in need of immediate housing and other assistance.

The quake’s epicenter was about 8 miles south of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo at a depth of about 14 miles below sea level on the west flank of Mauna Loa volcano.

Extent of damages started to come into focus Saturday, May 23, and continues to unfold as the island cleans up from what scientists confirmed as the strongest earthquake since 2018 to strike Hawai‘i and one of the strongest since the 1950s recorded in the Hōnaunau area.

“We’re going to have more information tomorrow morning as we bring all of our directors together for an update,” “We’re getting a lot of reports from the South Kona area, but it’s coming pretty evenly geographically now as we speak,” Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda told KHON2 on Tuesday, adding he would have additional information Wednesday, May 27, after an 8 a.m. emergency update meeting with department directors.

The mayor does plan to seek federal support, telling the Honolulu media outlet that he also will sign an emergency declaration Wednesday morning.

Hawai‘i County urges everyone — residents and businesses — who experienced damage from the earthquake, no matter the level, to submit a report to Civil Defense.

Damage reports — along with photos — can be submitted online at these links:

• Residential damage.
• Commercial damage.

People and families who need help because of the earthquake can also complete a Request for Assistance via Vibrant Hawai‘i.

Residents can call Hawai‘i County Civil Defense at 808-935-0031 for additional information, with any questions or if they do not have access to a computer or the internet and need to submit a damage report.

“This was not normal. This thing was like a jackhammer. … I’ve never felt anything like that, and I’m … still a little bit shaken up from it,” Papa Bay resident Kevin Tadlock told KHON2. “I’m here trying to blow the whistle and say we need help. … Because there are some houses out here and people out here whose lives are devastated, and I don’t know how that’s going to be repaired.”

News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this report.