It’s quiet again. Construction crews have hauled away toxic debris, but entire neighborhoods still sit empty. Only six homes have been rebuilt in the county. Much of the town sits in the purgatory ...

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at the two-story Tip Top Motel in the middle of Lihue, one of Kauai’s largest towns. I parked and looked up at the crimson-brown cinder block building where ...