Hurricane Lowell's power outage left 120,000 pounds of shrimp in jeopardy at Aloun Farms on Kauai, Hawai'i, as the company also contended with damaged buildings and crop losses.
Managing director Lisiate Heimuli said the shrimp could begin dying in about 48 hours with the aeration systems down.
Here's what to know
According to Hawaii News Now, the farm's immediate challenge in Kekaha was keeping about 20 of its 40 shrimp ponds functioning until generators arrived and electricity could be restored.
"With lack of power now, it's a race against time for us," Heimuli said.
Across the roughly 2,500 acres Aloun Farms leases on Kauai, Lowell destroyed several structures, including the main office and mechanic shop, and tore away tarps used around the property.
The banana crop was among the hardest hit. 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.
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Downed power lines in the fields are still preventing safe access to some parts of the property, and the company has already told retail partners that shipments could be delayed indefinitely.
Forecasters told Hawaii News Now that more tropical systems could still affect Hawai'i.
Patrick Blood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said, "We probably have another month, month and a half, maybe two months of possibly dealing with another couple of storms."
What's being done?
Heimuli said the farm's top priority was getting generators to the site and connected before oxygen levels in the shrimp ponds drop too low.
"We are in constant contact trying to get generators here on site and trying to get plugged in," Heimuli said.
Meanwhile, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative said its restoration work is focused first on transmission lines, which are vital to the island's grid and must be repaired before individual distribution circuits can be restored.
According to Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, those inspections have been carried out by helicopter, as well as with drones and by ground crews.
"Some areas we're not even able to get to because we have power lines down still yet in the field," Heimuli said.
Where can I learn more?
What's happening at Aloun Farms is among many stories of food producers contending with more extreme weather.
• In Maine, growers sought federal support after drought cut yields and deepened financial strain.
• In Indonesia, officials said rice planting faltered amid extreme flooding.
• In Nigeria, experts have warned that drought is crushing agriculture and driving food prices higher.
A storm or drought can hit harvests, damage infrastructure, and ripple through local economies, and the growing threat of extreme weather is worsening the problem.
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