I will be frank.  I am not an "old-timer" of Hilo.  So, I cannot claim to have witnessed the hundred-year flood of of 2000.  Nor can I recall the legendary  knee-deep flood waters on Kamehameha Avenue after a marathon tropical deluge.

I was however treated to my first ever East Hawaii waterfall-filler this past Saturday and Sunday, February 2nd and 3rd.

The super water-spectacle heralded itself with a louder-than-usual pounding on our metal roof on Friday evening as I was just drifting off to sleep.  Throughout the small hours of Saturday morning, I was lulled into a blissful slumber by the persistent percussion of rain and the guttural rumble of thunder.

"The Volcano of Mauna Loa was giving a grand exhibition of Natural Pyrotechnics. The eruption is described as the most extensive which has taken place in these Islands. The last accounts fears were entertained that the beautiful town of Hilo would be destroyed by the molten river, which was coursing its way hitherward. The scene is described as one of awful sublimity and grandeur."
— The New York Times, April 28, 1852

It is only fitting that the first significant mention of Hilo in America's newspaper of record was of its impending doom.

Sharing space with three volcanoes, rocked by earthquakes, swamped by tidal waves, infested with diseased bugs, and under the very real threat of attack by a foreign power, the Hawaiian island town of Hilo has endured much hardship over the decades.

But what turned Hilo into a low-ranking destination for most mainland visitors was not a catastrophe, but something that happens every week, sometimes every day — the rain.

In Hilo, it rains a lot — about 129 inches a year. [ mostly at night, though…most days are sunny…]

To Hilo resident Ted Coombs, there comes a time in the growth of any community an art museum makes great sense, and the time for Hilo was now. So armed with an idea, a lofty goal (and little else) Coombs rounded up a group of people and founded the Hilo Art Museum.

That was on April 15th 2007, and just a few months later, the Hilo Art Museum opened its door, with a fledgling permanent collection featuring original art by Picasso, de Kooning, Salvador Dali, and many vibrant local artists.

Housed in the historic Hilo Iron Works Building fronting breathtaking Hilo Bay at 1266 Kamehameha Ave, the Hilo Art Museum (HAM) is a small museum with a big dream. An acorn, if you will. From this small beginning the vision is to become a world class museum, filled with an eclectic mix of world-class art pieces.

Future phenomenon: intra-malihini?

Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - July 20, 2007
by Howard Dicus

I want to make a prediction.

In 10 years, when most affluent Mainland baby boomers who want to retire to Hawaii already have bought their condos, the next big thing in Hawaii real estate will be Honolulu kamaaina forsaking Oahu for Neighbor Island locales, chief among them Hilo.

Two trends persuade me this will happen.