Kalaupapa water crisis is a challenge, but is ‘in God’s plan’

A series of failures in a decades-old pump system forced the evacuation of the Kalaupapa peninsula on Molokai earlier this month. The water system, which was originally inaugurated by Father Damien de Veuster in 1873 and last updated in 1985, created unsafe conditions that required the removal of all residents and workers from the settlement.

The evacuation affects several groups living in the remote area, including state Department of Health employees, National Park Service staff, and patient-residents. The community also includes two Franciscan sisters and a Sacred Hearts priest who continue the caregiving legacy of Father Damien and Mother Marianne Cope. Because of the peninsula's isolation, residents often face long waits for supplies and repairs to arrive by boat, small airplane, or foot.