DALLAS — Nearly a week after a hurricane sparked deadly wildfires in Maui, Carol and Tony Ruggeri boarded a plane Monday night, leaving their vacation home on the island and returning to their permanent home in Dallas.
“We've owned a place in Maui since 1989, so it's very much, it's really home. It's part of our soul,” said Tony Ruggeri.
Reminders of brighter times in where they call their ‘happy place’ are sprinkled throughout their Texas home – photos of excursions throughout the years, their favorite restaurants, and a collection of infamous parrot photos.
The couple spends about four month out of the year on the island. Just days before the storm, they’d said their goodbyes to their children and grandchildren who were leaving Maui after visiting them for vacation.
“We knew that the hurricane was coming and we were going to have big winds,” said Tony Ruggeri.
Still, they say there was no indication of the devastation to come.
“Everything happened on Tuesday,” said Tony Ruggeri “We lost power about 5 a.m.”
The phone lines went down next, leaving them in the dark and without a means to communicate with the outside world.
“It took a couple of day because when you guys were getting the news, we were getting nothing,” said Carol Ruggeri.
Eventually, they found cell service at the top of one of the mountains in their neighborhood – only then learning the full extent of the destruction.
“The homes are gone, they have nowhere, their cars are burned up, the boats were burning in the harbor,” said Carol Ruggeri.
Their home was untouched – the bulk of the destruction was about 10 miles away in historic Lahaina. It’s the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years. The death toll is now more than 90. Aid is pouring into the island for the thousands who have been displaced.
“They're coming by helicopter, they're coming in by plane, jet ski, you name it,” said Carol Ruggeri.
Carol Ruggeri started doing volunteer work, but eventually, the couple made the hard decision to come home.
“It’s more helpful to just let the resources that are available be used for those who really, really need it, and there are a lot of people that really, really need it, right?” said Carol Ruggieri
And they say those people and that vibrant community are now in their hearts as they watch from the mainland.
“Those memories are the hardest thing,” said Tony Ruggeri.
The couple says, due to how isolated Maui is, the best way to aid the island is by financial contributions. WFAA has compiled a list of legitimate ways to help here.