Hurricane Lowell knocked out power to Kauai Alum Farms, leaving the company racing to keep about 20 out of their 40 shrimp ponds operating while assessing widespread damage across its agricultural fields.

The farm’s shrimp operation in Kekaha holds about 120,000 pounds of shrimp, which rely on aeration to keep the water oxygenated.

Without power, Managing Director Lisiate Heimuli said the shrimp have about 48 hours before they could begin dying.

“With lack of power now, it’s a race against time for us,” Heimuli said.

The company is working to get generators to the property and restore power to the shrimp operation.

“We are in constant contact trying to get generators here on site and trying to get plugged in,” Heimuli said.

The damage extends well beyond the shrimp ponds.

Aloun Farms leases about 2,500 acres on Kauai, where the storm damaged agricultural fields and destroyed structures.

“Our mechanic shop is no longer standing. Our main office is no longer standing,” Heimuli said, adding that tarps at the farm were also blown away.

The farm’s banana crop also suffered major losses. Heimuli said about 95% of the farm’s first and second plantings, and possibly a third, were lost. The bananas had been expected to be harvested around December.

The full extent of the damage remains unknown because crews cannot safely reach some areas of the property.

“Some areas we’re not even able to get to because we have power lines down still yet in the field,” Heimuli said.

“Our mechanic shop is no longer standing. Our main office is no longer standing,” Heimuli said, adding that tarps at the farm were also blown away.

The farm’s banana crop also suffered major losses. Heimuli said about 95% of the farm’s first and second plantings, and possibly a third, were lost. The bananas had been expected to be harvested around December.

The full extent of the damage remains unknown because crews cannot safely reach some areas of the property.

“Some areas we’re not even able to get to because we have power lines down still yet in the field,” Heimuli said.

The company is also warning its retail partners that shipments could be delayed indefinitely as it determines how much food can still be produced and transported from Kauai.

The storm damage comes as Kauai works to restore its electrical system. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) said inspections focused on transmission lines, which are critical to the island’s power grid and must be repaired before crews can restore individual distribution circuits.

KIUC said all of its transmission lines were inspected using helicopter surveillance, drones and crews on the ground.

Meanwhile, forecasters say Hawaii could still face additional tropical systems in the coming weeks.

Patrick Blood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said the islands could have another month or two of potential storm activity.

“We probably have another month, month and a half, maybe two months of possibly dealing with another couple of storms,” Blood said.

Blood said a disturbance in the Eastern Pacific also had a 70% or higher chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next seven days.

For Aloun Farms, the immediate priority is getting power back to its shrimp operation while crews work to assess the damage and determine how much of its agricultural production can be saved.

Source - https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com