Lei Mohr

Creating Community for Natural Disaster Lei Mohr

In May, 2018, the largest eruption in over 100 years started in the Puna district of the Big Island. For three and a half months, lava flowed over subdivisions, farms, agricultural businesses and treasured leisure areas, covering over 700 homes and leaving thousands without access to their residences and places of business. The community pulled together to help the people and in the process formed an ongoing network of support that can be re-created for any community. As the world climate changes and disasters become more prevalent and damaging, the lessons learned in Puna can be used anywhere to build the same kind of support network to aid communities around the world. There is no place on Earth where a natural or environmental disaster of some kind cannot happen, and many places live under multiple threats, including Hawai'i. Advance preparation benefits any community.