Responding at home: A Red Cross volunteer’s experience in Nāʻālehu during Hurricane Lala 

Emely Salmo is no stranger to disaster response having been a Red Cross volunteer since the Lahaina wildfires in 2023. But this past weekend Hurricane Lala came to her hometown of Nāʻālehu on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. 

“When I get deployed, I don’t see it happening I see the aftermath. But when you’re here at home and it’s happening and you’re watching it, I’m feeling helpless because I can’t even prevent it from happening because it’s Mother Nature,” said Emely Salmo.

As the community prepared for Hurricane Lala last Friday, Emely was in the evacuation shelter preparing to welcome anyone in her community who needed safe refuge during the storm. This is one of many roles she has trained for as a Red Cross volunteer.

On Saturday, when Lala arrived, those in the Nāʻālehu Elementary School gym watched as the water rose halfway up the steps into the shelter. The rain was endless, the wind howling and those inside did not know if their homes and property nearby would survive the storm. Once the swirling water subsided and eventually drained, they were able to take in the impact on the town.

As far as they could see there was mud and debris. Punaluʻu Bake Shop, a hometown favorite, and the local park had seen a river push boulders and trees through. Many in the shelter could not go home and so they stayed with Emely at the elementary school. 

Soon, they discovered the roads had been cut off to the town, and that they were on their own for the time being. Emely took it upon herself to find a way to feed everyone and make the space as comfortable as possible. She told her family that they were “all Red Cross now” and put them to work helping with the shopping and cooking. Since her family lives in a remote area of Hawai‘i Island she recruited three of her children and her husband to serve as a built-in Red Cross team.

From their home down the road her father cooked the meals, and Emely brought it back to the shelter. Despite the challenges, she found a way to continue shelter operations and to provide as much comfort as she could.

Back when she was volunteering in Lahaina, Emely would tell survivors, “I can’t say I understand but I feel your pain.” She felt that since she had not been through that disaster alongside them, she would never truly be able to understand. But she could still serve as a listening ear, support system and as a voice for the community. 

On this response Emely can truly say she understands. Nāʻālehu is the town she was born and raised in and where she raised her children. This is her home and she has watched Hurricane Lala’s approach, the impact and the response effort so far. While there is a long road ahead for Nāʻālehu, Emely says she wants to be there through the very end of the recovery process. 

“The Red Cross is proud to have volunteers like Emely embedded in their community who answer the call to serve,” organization leaders said. “The recovery effort from Hurricane Lala is ongoing and more volunteers are necessary to reach every impacted community as quickly as possible.”

To become a Red Cross volunteer go to www.redcross.org/local/pacific-islands/volunteer.