Portland restaurant owner with family in Oahu watches from afar as Hawaii faces historic flooding

MILWAUKIE Ore. (KPTV) – The photos hanging in Ohana Cafe remind Matt Ho of home on the island of Oahu. But right now he’s watching from afar as the island suffers the worst flooding it’s seen in years.

“Helplessness is just a… I guess the word that could best describe how I feel right now,” Ho said.

Ho was born and raised in Mililani, in central Oahu. He visits his family back home when he can, but he’s kept busy at Ohana Cafe. He left Hawaii to study at Oregon State in 1995, where he met his wife Sandie. Twenty years later, they own two Ohana Hawaiian Cafes in Milwaukie and Northeast Portland.

His father still lives in the same house Ho grew up in. They lost some power during the past week as his family was caught in the middle of historic flooding in Hawaii.

“This was the first Kona Low, I guess what they’re calling it. The first big rains that came through, they were out for 12 hours. And they said it seemed like an eternity, but they made the best of it,” Ho said.

Seasonal storms have battered Hawaii for days, leaving 2,000 people without power and causing an estimated billion dollars in damages.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered about 15 miles from where Ho grew up. One of his aunts, 90 years old, was forced to evacuate from the same house she grew up in.

“I think it was just really scary for her not knowing if she’s going to come back to a ruined house or if she’s going to be saved from the devastation,” Ho said.

Her house is safe but Ho’s 90-year-old aunt still can’t return home. He said the small community is stepping up for evacuees like her.

“The church, my older sister, Melissa, goes to Inspire Church. One of the pastors, from my understanding, he was just driving around looking for people who were forced to evacuate but nowhere to go,” Ho said. “I just feel really proud to be part of that community. We’re not seeing looting. We’re not seeing violence. It’s just people helping out. I mean, Kokua is a term in Hawaiian, just helping, people are just helping.”

Ohana Cafes will be donating proceeds and collecting donations to go directly toward relief efforts on the island through Aloha United Way.