MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — What once was considered paradise views have been destroyed and replaced with rubble and ash.
For Kimberly Pool, seeing her childhood memories go up in smoke has been heartbreaking. Her parents were born and raised in Lahaina, and now her family is scrambling to hear back from friends and family members still there. The limited cell service has made communicating challenging.
"Going back, it was always just so fun. We would swing on the old Banyan tree vines like my parents would as kids and everything. And we'd visit all the mom-and-pop stores that they would go to as kids, and you know it's just all gone now," she said.
More than one-thousand homes and businesses have been destroyed in Lahaina, many of them, places that Pool knew well.
"My grandfather's church where he was a Buddhist minister is burned to the ground. You know, other churches too. My mother's family's ashes were all there. And we don't at this point if those were kept safe or you know if they burned," she said.
The videos and heartbreaking stories of survivors who ran to the ocean to stay safe are hard to believe for many who visited the island and took in the magnificent scenery.
"You just don't, these places that are considered vacation and destination spots, where it's fun and you're going to have a great time. You don't think about these kinds of things happening. And so, when it does, it just pulls at you. You realize oh my gosh this can happen anywhere," she said.
Pool said she's thankful people are showing their support, but hopes people looking to donate need to do their research.
"You don't want the money to go somewhere where you don't mean it to go, and people take advantage you know."
She said in true aloha spirit, she's confident, Lahaina will remain strong.
To learn more about the relief funds that have been set up to help Hawaii, you can visit this website.
