Henderson woman says she has a personal connection to Hawaii

JACKSON, Tenn. — It was a mispronunciation that prompted Gayle Cox to call WBBJ.

“Kiluahea is the longest running active volcano in the world,” Cox said.

Her family lived in Hawaii on the big island from 1989 to 1994 when her husband was stationed at Pearl Harbor.

“My heart goes out to the people of Hawaii. What I want to say is the prayer warriors really need to be praying for them,” Cox said.

Cox says there are things people probably don’t understand.

“On the islands you have no where to go. You are confined there,” Cox explained.

You either board a plane and leave or you stay there and fight.

“They can’t save things they have. They are losing their possessions when it’s swiping up the houses. That is everything they have,” Cox said.

Cox and her family returned to Hawaii in 2016 for vacation and says even then you could see a little fire.

“It was spitting bits of fire at that point but you had to stand there and watch for it for a long time,” Cox said.

Although the volcano is spitting fiery red It’s hurting the green.

“Tourism is what they live off of currently in today’s world. Without it it’s devastating to them and the economy there,” Cox said.

Cox says one day she will be back to the island she loves.

“We will go back there. We are planning to. I would move back there in a heartbeat,” Cox said.