Pascua Ohana of Lahaina Displaced by Fire

Aloha everyone, this is PJ Pascua.

As most of you have seen on social media and the news, Maui has experienced the unimaginable. While Hurricane Dora was passing through Hawaii, fires popped up all over the island of Maui as well as the Big Island. On August 8th, my entire hometown of Lahaina was burnt to the ground. Hundreds if not more, people are still missing. Over a thousand homes have been lost. My brother has been one of the many people to have had to abandon his car in the middle of the road and jump into the ocean for a chance to survive - thank God that he did.

My family homes have been lost. Within just my immediate family, all three of our homes are reduced to rubble. Our two family farms are completely gone. My cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, have lost all of their homes as well. They’ve all gotten out safely with nothing but the clothes on their backs. We have many young children and my sister is expecting and due very soon. They are currently safe and found hotel accommodations, being hotel employees, for a short time being. It’s very uncertain how long they’ll be allowed to stay in a hotel. And they have no electricity, water, or cell service, and are very short on food and water.

Lahaina is quickly becoming unsafe as people are fending for their lives. This tragic event is explained as “apocalyptic.” People are beginning to fight, steal, break into the homes that are still standing, siphon gas, and it will only get worse.

I worry so much about my family’s safety and health and well-being. We are a family of 11 - my parents, two brothers, brother-in-law, sister, two nephews, my son, myself and my other half. And we have two babies on the way (my son is due in two weeks). Although I, my other half, and my son are not currently on Maui, we are trying our best to get my family to safety and either secure housing on Maui or fly them off the island for the time being. As soon as my second son is born within the next two weeks, I will be flying to Maui to aid in clean up, search and rescue, and rebuilding.

Anything helps! $1, a prayer, positive thoughts. We appreciate it all. We are LAHAINA STRONG.