A Honolulu home in Palolo Valley, Hawaii was hit by a massive boulder on Saturday night (Jan 28).
The boulder, measuring about 5 feet in height and width, crashed through the cinder block wall, living room and another wall of the home before coming to a stop in a bedroom.
“Today, I am a little better; but last night, I was very shaken. I really didn’t know what happened except for the loud boom,” Palolo Valley resident Caroline Sasaki told KHON2.
The Sasaki family had only moved into the home this month, but thankfully, none of the four people inside the home at the time of the incident were injured.
“We lived in this same location. We just knocked down the old house and rebuilt it; and it’s never happened before, heavy rain and hurricane warnings nothing. So, no rocks ever came down,” Sasaki said. “We’ve had some issues with them carving the mountain, and I don’t know if that’s the cause.”
The cause of the boulder’s descent is currently unclear, although the incident followed days of heavy rain. Another homeowner in the area reported a smaller boulder, approximately 2 feet by 2 feet, striking his retaining wall, but it did not enter his property.
The City Department of Planning and Permitting sent inspectors to the scene on Monday to assess the area, and the Sasaki family is looking for answers.
The area has undergone significant changes over the years, and the land above the affected residence is privately owned.
The development owner Bingning Li said, “This is from way above, I looked at one of those rocks about 50 feet away from on top of the property and landed over there and then made its way down here. So it hit one of the cables that was supposed to stop it and the cable snapped. That took a lot of energy away otherwise this damage would be way more.”
A massive boulder smashed through a home in Palolo Valley almost hitting the owner inside. @KHONnews #news#breakingnews#hawaii#khon2news pic.twitter.com/KGoVLXeaDJ
— Max Rodriguez (@maxrrrod) January 30, 2023
An investigation is underway to determine the source of the boulder and what caused it to crash into the home.
Meanwhile, the family says insurance adjusters are yet to come and assess the damage, and the boulder still remains inside the home.
Sasaki said, “Department of permitting and planning, the Department of Emergency Management, the mayor, the councilman, they should all get involved because people’s lives are at stake.”
Neighbors were shocked by the incident, with one of them, Craig Tomita, describing the adrenaline-fueled experience as “just brought me down for a while.”
The Sasaki family is undoubtedly grateful that they escaped the ordeal unharmed, and they will no doubt be keeping a close eye on developments as the investigation continues.