Trent Parke, a 47-year-old tattoo artist from Wainiha on Kauai, Hawaii, survived being swept away by floodwaters during Hurricane Lowell on September 7. Parke was trapped in the water for eight hours after his home was carried downstream; he clung to plants and debris to stay afloat until he could find his truck and eventually reach higher ground. The article details how Parke prepared his off-grid home days before the storm but still faced life-threatening conditions as floodwaters rose rapidly, sweeping away parts of his house and forcing him into dangerous waters where survival depended on quick thinking and physical endurance.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Trent Parke, a 47-year-old tattoo artist from Wainiha on Kauai, survived an ordeal lasting eight hours when he was swept away by floodwaters during Hurricane Lowell on September 7. Despite preparing his home, including moving valuables to higher ground and parking his truck above the flood level, Parke found himself trapped in raging waters as he tried to leave his property near the Wainiha River, a seven-mile-long stream.
Parke had no choice but to cling onto plants for survival while watching his house be swept away by the surging river. Eventually, he managed to reach his deck, which is approximately eight feet above ground level. This dramatic survival story highlights the perilous conditions faced during extreme weather events and underscores the importance of preparation and quick thinking in such emergencies.
Written for “Hawaii Hurricane Survival Story” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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A Hawaii man miraculously made it out alive after he was swept away by a raging flood that left him stranded in the water for eight hours.
Trent Parke, 47, prepared his home in Wainiha, a small community in Kauai, days before Hurricane Lowell made its way to the area on September 7th, SF Gate reported.
asserted
Gate → see → 7th
He moved what he could to higher ground at his home, which borders the Wainiha River, a seven-mile stream, Parke told the outlet.
uncertain
Parke → move → outlet
The local tattoo artist took the necessary precautions to stay safe after emergency officials sent out an alert urging people to voluntarily evacuate if they lived in an oceanfront property, he recalled.
asserted
he → take → property
Although Parke did not live near the ocean, he parked his truck on higher ground, rushed to shut down his off-grid power system, changed into a wetsuit top, and put valuables like his phone and keys in a plastic bag.
asserted
he → live → bag
He then hopped back in his truck around 7.30pm, but the river had already started to surge, Parke said.
'I was walking on the far side of my property to get out, and it was just like about a 3-foot difference of water,' Parke stated.
asserted
Parke → hop → water
'At that point, I had to swim back to my house because it was the only way to go.'
asserted
it → have → house
Trent Parke, 47, survived after he was swept away in dangerous water during Hurricane Lowell in Hawaii on September 7
He had no choice but to watch as the home he built surged down the water and floated away from him as he clung to plants for dear life
After making his way there, Parke climbed over the railing and onto his deck, which is around eight feet above the ground.
asserted
which → survive → ground
He hoped that the water would start to pull back, but it continued to rise.
asserted
it → hop → ?
Parke went on to climb onto the roof of his deck, which is around 16ft above the ground.
asserted
which → go → ground
Large trees then started to float upstream, and pieces of his beloved home started to break away one by one.
asserted
pieces → start → one
'I know at this point, I'm going to be diving in for a swim soon.
asserted
I → know → swim
I am not looking down at my art studio.
asserted
I → look → studio
Water just keeps rising faster and faster,' Parke shared.
asserted
Parke → rise → ?
As mayhem quickly surrounded him, Parke found a hau bush plant and latched on.
asserted
Parke → surround → plant
The thick tree grows horizontally and can reach up to 33ft tall.
asserted
tree → grow → ?
But the trees were no match for Mother Nature after two of them slammed into the home and started to break, leaving Parke to jump back into the intense water.
asserted
two → slam → water
'When I hit the water, I knew I had to swim as hard as I could in any chance to hit that section of hau bush.
uncertain
I → hit → bush
In a blur, I was there and I got a hold of one of the thicker branches
asserted
I → get → branches
,' he stated, adding that at that point, he was in his neighbor's yard.
asserted
he → state → yard
While trying to save himself, Parke said he watched as the house he built floated right past him.
asserted
he → try → him
Suddenly, the bush broke off, forcing him back into the raging river.
asserted
bush → break → river
He prepared his Wainiha home days before the storm, trying to move what he could to higher ground
Eventually, he found his truck and his home, which was thrown some 30 to 50 yards downstream onto another property, Parke said
That caused him to hit his head and back on a log, and threw him underwater.
uncertain
him → prepare → him
After resurfacing, he grabbed onto another branch and told himself he had to stay where he was in order to survive.
asserted
he → resurface → order
Parke remained there until 4am, fighting off hypothermia before running into four others who had escaped the water.
asserted
who → remain → water
Eventually, he found his truck and his home, which was thrown some 30 to 50 yards downstream onto another property, Parke said.
asserted
Parke → find → property
Now, Parke is staying with neighbors and trying to figure out what is next after losing everything he had, according to a GoFundMe page.
uncertain
he → stay → page
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