Community raises $48,000 for couple whose home washed away in ʻĪao

A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $48,000 for an 80-year-old couple living in a storage container after recent floodwaters destroyed their home and property in ʻĪao Valley.

Carrie and Tom Bashaw evacuated their home with their cats when a severe kona storm swelled nearby Wailuku River (ʻĪao Stream) during heavy rains over the past weekend. By the following morning, raging water undercut the property, causing the house and garage to collapse into the floodwaters.

Family members said the couple did not have flood insurance because the home was not located in a designated flood zone. Tom Bashaw had designed and built the residence himself.

Organizers said the Bashaws are sleeping on air mattresses inside a storage container while they search for a way to rebuild.

“Losing so much so suddenly has been overwhelming,” said daughter Stephanie Ichinose, who organized the fundraiser.

The campaign has received 699 donations as of Monday, nearly reaching its initial $50,000 goal. Ichinose said the money will cover immediate needs, including temporary housing, debris removal and replacing essential belongings lost in the collapse.