From disaster are born heroes

When the ground slipped beneath them, many turned to helping others

THE EARTHQUAKES that shook the Big Island a week ago today triggered more than cracked walls and tilted homes.

The natural disaster also evoked a ripple effect of people reaching out to help each other.

When the ground stopped moving, the safety of family, friends and neighbors was the first thought of many residents. Here are a few stories from the hardest-hit areas:

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On a normal day, the Waikoloa Chevron -- the only convenience store and gas station in Waikoloa Village, population about 5,700 -- is a bustling place.

Last Sunday, it was an oasis.

Owner Rod Johnson, his daughters and employees Lisa West and Christina Howe, their families and off-duty store clerks headed to the store immediately after the earthquakes to check the damage, he said.

When Johnson saw the bottles of beer, wine and tea smashed all over the store, he intended to close and clean up.

"But people were asking us to stay open," Johnson said. So they did.

Until the broken glass was cleared, people were allowed in the store a few at a time. The line outside stayed about 25 people deep all day, Johnson said.

Customers were, as usual, a mix of residents and vacationers, Johnson said. "In general the tourists were more upset," he said. "I just kept telling them, 'Wherever you're from, you'll always remember this trip.' "

Until electricity came back mid-afternoon, Johnson rounded prices up or down to the nearest dollar and put the cash in a box.

Ice, batteries, flashlights and candles were gone within an hour, said West, who manages the store. They got a resupply of ice from the neighboring grocery store, which wasn't able to stay open, but that went quickly, too.

Cold drinks and food, prepared and off the shelf, continued to sell. When the power came back about 3 p.m., customers lined up for gas all the way down the street, Johnson said.

When ice cream started to melt in the freezer, it went on sale for $1, West said.

"The community in general was very helpful," West said. "Some tourists were so wonderful, they got down on their hands and knees and helped us pick up stuff."

Most people's attitude, "while not jovial, wasn't 'woe is me,' " Johnson said. "They accepted the fact of the earthquake, were patient and helped each other carry their groceries out."

The store stayed open until its normal closing hour of 11 p.m., West said.

They were still totaling up losses late last week, but probably lost $40,000 between smashed bottles and a crack in the driveway that will have to be repaired, Johnson said.

"We did receive a lot of comments, thank-yous for staying open," Johnson said.

A HERO'S WELCOME If you know of someone who went out of his way to help others during the earthquakes and power outages Sunday, tell us about it. Send us an e-mail at quakeheroes@starbulletin.com and include information on how to call you if we need to find out more about what happened.