Image 2 of 28
Because Hilo is on the eastern coast, it is exposed to the elements that batter the islands from that side. The western coast, which is sheltered by the mountains, gets just a fraction of the rain the east gets. Also, things like bricks have traditionally been very expensive here - anything heavy that needs to be shipped in from mainland USA is pricey. Hence the houses are made of more basic materials, and they tend to fall apart more.