Hawaii 6.0 Quake Wipes Out Hundreds of Kona Water Tanks, Threatening Coffee Farms
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Hawaii 6.0 Quake Wipes Out Hundreds of Kona Water Tanks, Threatening Coffee Farms
5 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 31
Hundreds of Kona farmers lost stored rainwater after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake 10 days ago destroyed or damaged catchment tanks across Hawaii’s Big Island.
Kona’s coffee and macadamia farms depend on those tanks because parts of the district lack county water infrastructure, leaving homes and orchards without ready access to water.
Farmers described shelves collapsing, rock walls crumbling and tanks falling apart, turning a brief quake into a longer crisis for small farms already used to strict conservation.
The damage hits a region known for prized Kona coffee, raising pressure on growers whose crops and daily life rely on rainwater collected on volcanic slopes.
Hit by storms and an earthquake, is Hawaii's coffee region facing a total water collapse?
Can solar technology save Kona's coffee farms after a quake shattered their water supply?