An elderly couple in Hawaii has suffered the devastating loss of their dream home after it was consumed by a nearby river that flooded during a powerful and prolonged storm. Tom and Carrie Bashaw, both in their eighties, invested their entire life savings into the Maui property, which was destroyed less than six years after its construction was completed.
Widespread Destruction Across the Archipelago
The Bashaws are among numerous Hawaiians who have lost everything after a cold-centered cyclone, known locally as a Kona storm, dumped an extraordinary 44 inches of water on Maui and battered the rest of the state with relentless force. This devastating weather event began in Hawaii's northern islands of Kauai and Oahu on Thursday before spreading across the entire archipelago throughout the remainder of the week.
A Dream Built on a Hill
The Bashaws commenced building their dream home in Wailuku, the county seat of Maui Island, back in 2020. The house was strategically positioned on a hill overlooking Iao Stream, a watercourse that is typically dry or maintains only very low water levels. The couple explained to Hawaii News Now that they had no initial concerns about potential flooding, as the residence was situated 75 feet away from the stream and elevated 45 feet above it.
However, on Saturday morning, the usually modest waters transformed into a raging torrent. The swollen river aggressively eroded the rocks that formed the foundation of the Bashaws' home, causing the structure to disintegrate and be swept away by the powerful floodwaters.
The Terrifying Sequence of Events
The couple began monitoring the Kona storm's escalating impacts on Friday, when they observed the swelling stream starting to knock over trees along its banks. As the situation deteriorated, trees closer to their property collapsed, and a significant area of land between the stream and the house began to give way, sliding into the churning water.
Tom recounted to Hawaii News Now that after a monkey pod tree and a mango tree fell on their property, 'we started throwing stuff in bags and packing up.' He described the rapid progression: 'Half an hour, 45 minutes later, the river had come all the way up to the edge of the deck of the house, the back deck, which was about 60 feet straight down.'
Escape and a Harrowing Return
The Bashaws fled their home around 9 p.m. on Friday, seeking refuge in a barn on their property for the night, accompanied by their cats, Civa and Ty. When they returned on Saturday to assess the damage, the reality was far worse than they had anticipated.
'The whole backside of the house was in the river, gone,' Tom stated. 'Food was gone. Both bedrooms gone.' The couple began the heartbreaking task of salvaging what little remained, managing to retrieve only a few pieces of furniture, some tools, and cat food.
Further Loss and Insurance Complications
Later that same day, more of the house succumbed to the raging waters. Around noon, while the Bashaws were examining the damage and attempting salvage operations, the garage of the home was also swept away.
Tom described the moment: 'I just went in and grabbed the last thing inside the garage, and about two minutes later, we heard the cracking. I held my phone up and videotaped it, and it just went boom, right into the water.'
The couple had purchased the property in 2018, initially building a cottage before commencing work on the main house two years later. They had invested years of labor into the construction, with Tom still applying the final touches when the destruction occurred. Critically, the Bashaws did not possess flood insurance, as the house was not located in a designated flood zone and appeared sufficiently distant from the stream.
Philosophical Resilience Amid Ruin
Tom reflected that he and his wife 'were never really worried,' having witnessed the stream swell before, but never to such a catastrophic extent. He offered a philosophical perspective: 'Mother Nature wins, and she wants you, she takes you. She didn’t take us, she just took the house. We’re grateful for that. We have each other.'
Current Living Conditions and Community Support
Since losing their home, the Bashaws have been sleeping with their cats on air mattresses inside a storage container on their property. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Carrie's daughter, Stephanie Ichinose, has been established to support them.
Ichinose wrote on the fundraiser page: 'What was once their safe and comfortable home, designed and built lovingly by Tom himself, is now a memory.' The funds raised, which had reached nearly $48,500 by Monday evening, are designated for immediate needs such as safe temporary housing, replacement of essential belongings, debris removal, and beginning the arduous process of rebuilding their lives.
