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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Probably the worst game of tag ever..."}]

Smile 26 7 2

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026</title>

Probably the worst game of tag ever...

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A battle over water rights in East Maui boiled over Friday as the Board of Land and Natural Resources considered a proposal to auction off water rights for 30 years.

The East Maui Irrigation System delivers as much as 450 million gallons of water per day throughout thousands of acres of agricultural land in East Maui. The operation of the irrigation system is contingent upon a contract between the state and agricultural company Mahi Pono LLC, which, as of 2025, owns and operates 100% of the system.

On Friday, the BLNR considered a pair of possible futures for the EMI. On one hand, Maui County requested in April to have state-owned land and a daily average of 6.5 million gallons of surface water within the EMI to be set aside to the county’s control and management “for domestic, municipal and agriculture purposes.”

On the other hand, the BLNR could also sell via public auction a 30-year license to divert up to nearly 87 million gallons EMI waters daily.

For scores of Maui residents who testified on Friday, the choice was obvious. Testifiers spoke for more than eight hours urging the BLNR to either reject the public auction — in which Mahi Pono would be the only serious bidder — or postpone their decision.

Attendees warned against placing more of Maui’s natural resources under the control of private entities.

“Mahi Pono can purchase the water it legitimately needs for agriculture from a publicly managed system just like the rest of us small farmers here on Maui,” wrote farmer Eddy Garcia. “We already have to compete with them taking all of our sales. It does not need to control the source for the next 30 years.”

Others raised concerns about Mahi Pono’s corporate ownership: the business is a subsidiary of PSP Investments, a Canadian pension fund with substantial water holdings in Australia. Several testifiers argued that a foreign company’s chief fiduciary duty is to its shareholders, not the people of Maui.

“They are not farmers,” said testifier Tamara Lester. “They’ve squeezed out a lot of family farms and sell the water back to the people it should belong to.”

Still others pointed out that, in 2022, Maui residents voted to amend the county charter and establish the Department of the East Maui Water Authority, which came online in 2024 and is tasked with the stewardship of East Maui waters and acquiring water systems directly. Surrendering those water systems to a private entity instead would seem to contradict that charter amendment, many said.

Nonetheless, there were some voices in support of the auction. Scott Enright, former chair of the Department of Agriculture, wrote that the alternative to a 30-year water license would be repeated one-year revocable permits, which he opined would be “fundamentally mismatched” to the decades-long transition from the plantation era to more diversified agriculture.

After hours upon hours of impassioned opposition, the board voted unanimously to reject both options. Maui board member Jay Carpio introduced a motion to deny both the auction and the set-aside of land to Maui County. 

Included in that motion was a request for any further discussions on the matter to be held on Maui.

A contested case on the matter, requested by environmental group Sierra Club last December is still pending, after the state Environmental Court ruled in July that Sierra Club has standing to challenge the renewal of a revocable permit allowing Mahi Pono to divert water from the EMI.

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<title>BLNR rejects East Maui water auction decision</title>

Controversial proposal to auction East Maui water rights for 30 years rejected pending legal challenge.

BLNR rejects East Maui water auction decision

Ray Tsuchiyama

Business & Tourism

Columnists

During my two decades in Japan, every summer I traveled to Honolulu for our family vacation. After the flight from Tokyo, I would drive on Nimitz Highway, looking at miles of rusting warehouses and used-car lots, along with hundreds of single-wall homes and walk-up apartment buildings. And on every trip, I would ponder: Why hasn't anything changed since I first moved to Kalihi a few years after Statehood?

When I moved to Tokyo in 1991, I saw acres of old buildings and tiny streets in the middle of a vast metropolis. One by one, I witnessed hundreds of family-owned parcels assembled and redeveloped into projects such as Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Midtown and, more recently, Azabudai Hills.

The contrast was staggering: old Tokyo residential neighborhoods becoming new mixed-use districts with retail, restaurants, entertainment, hotels and, most importantly, new housing.

I was witnessing a different development process.

Why didn't Hawaiʻi develop an equivalent process?

During my Hawaiʻi visits, over lunch with friends at Bishop Street law and banking firms, the conversation would return again and again to what they regarded as the Holy Grail of Hawaiʻi's economic discussion:

In hindsight, perhaps these questions started from the wrong place.

Of course, tourism is the obvious economic engine. But Hawaiʻi also has generationally accumulated private wealth, much of it embedded in real estate — which is a role rarely discussed in Hawaiʻi’s economy.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Families own:"}]

Much of this wealth is invisible in conventional economic-development discussions.

Hawaiʻi has two economies: the visible economy of visitors and the invisible economy of accumulated local capital.

Yet being “invisible” does not mean that Hawaiʻi families are necessarily poor in wealth. Instead, they are often heavily concentrated in one form of wealth: land and real estate.

Compare that with wealthy families in larger Mainland economies or internationally connected regions. Many have diversified their fortunes into operating businesses that produce revenues well beyond their home markets — like consumer or food products.

A family business in California or New York can build factories, distribution networks or brands that sell around the world. A small country or region does not necessarily have to be a limitation.

Switzerland is an instructive example. With a population of only about nine million — roughly nine Hawaiʻis —globally recognized Swiss firms like UBS, Rolex and Novartis remind us that the size of a domestic market does not determine the potential scale of a business.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Hawaiʻi's challenge has been different."}]

Generations of Hawaiʻi families accumulated wealth primarily through land and real estate. That created long-term wealth, but it also created concentration.

A $50 million property portfolio is not the same thing as $50 million in cash, or a global operating company generating $50 million in annual revenue.

That distinction becomes especially important when a family owns a valuable property but needs capital to improve it.

Selling the property may conflict with family legacy, stewardship, future generations, emotional attachment, and long-term appreciation.

I recall sitting in the Castle & Cooke boardroom in the early 1980s and listening to the CEO discuss how the company owned thousands of acres of land but had difficulty finding the capital to develop it to its “highest and best use.”

If a major Hawaiʻi landowner with institutional relationships and access to Mainland credit lines could struggle to finance development, what happens to a family that owns a single Waikīkī retail property?

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The issues are not theoretical."}]

One family member wants to renovate the building. Another wants a distribution. Someone else wants to buy a house.

These are not abstract questions of operations or return on investment. They are real family decisions being made today in Nu‘uanu, Mānoa, Hawaiʻi Kai and communities throughout the Islands.

The challenge for the next generation of Hawaiʻi families may not be creating wealth.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"It may be learning how to steward it."}]

The founder's philosophy — “Never sell the land” — worked remarkably well for a generation. Land provided security, income, appreciation, and family continuity.

But what happens when the founder is gone and the property passes to five children, 12 grandchildren and eventually 30 beneficiaries?

The circumstances change: multiple heirs, fragmented ownership, increasingly complex properties, capital requirements, redevelopment opportunities, and housing and community pressures.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"So the question evolves."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Not: Should we sell?"}]

But: How can we make the asset more productive while preserving long-term family ownership?

How do we responsibly deploy what we have for the next generation?

Perhaps the next evolution is to think of family land not simply as an asset to hold, but as a form of Neighborhood Capital — capital capable of participating in the long-term development of the communities around it.

That brings me back to my two-decade frustration at the start of every Hawaiʻi vacation.

What happens when Hawaiʻi's greatest untapped economic asset is not the monthly visitor count but what already exists in family balance sheets across the Islands?

Most importantly, what could Neighborhood Capital mean for Kalihi-Pālama, a historically overlooked community strategically sited between the airport and Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi's economic engine?

If the capital and the land are already here, why aren't we seeing more large-scale, locally rooted development?

Perhaps Hawaiʻi does not have a shortage of capital, land, or expertise.

What it may lack is a process for bringing them together — patiently, professionally and at a neighborhood scale.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "},{"type":"text","text":" "}]

This is the inaugural column in Ray Tsuchiyama’s series exploring one central question: How does Hawai‘i use the wealth and land it already has to create its next economic future? He can be reached at 

Oahu neighborhoods homes i Stock

<title>Hawaiʻi’s next billion-dollar industry is not tourism — it is capital stewardship</title>

Everyday people in Hawai‘i are, collectively, sitting on a vast source of wealth, mainly real estate. As Guild Consulting's real estate and finance expert Ray Tsuchiyama explains, the Islands' next big challenge — and opportunity — could be putting this wealth to work at the neighborhood level for positive change.

Hawaiʻi’s next billion-dollar industry is not tourism — it is capital stewardship

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Aloha Spirit

 City and County of Honolulu officials urge residents to shelter in place as Hurricane Lala buffets the state.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the worst impacts of the storm on O’ahu are expected to begin around 8:30 p.m. tonight, and will last for the next 12-16 hours. On the other hand, he said, within 24 hours, the worst of the storm should have passed. 

In the meantime, residents are urged to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. 

Transit Director Jon Nouchi said TheBus will cease new operations beginning 8:30 p.m., as a precaution against unexpected road closures or bus rollovers caused by heavy winds. Buses en route at 8:30 p.m. will complete their routes and allow passengers to reach their destinations, but will not begin subsequent routes.

Nouchi said bus services will resume when the city evaluates the roads are safe.

If residents must leave their homes or are in a vulnerable location, they are advised to seek shelter at the homes of friends or family or at their workplaces. While eight shelters remain open throughout O’ahu, Randy Collins, director of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management, said they are not rated for high winds and are not equipped with emergency supplies or sufficient staff.

"We encourage you to leave the space at the refuge areas for those that truly don’t have another place to go, and that way we can save those valuable resources for the people that need them the most,” Collins said. 

Shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday, Collins said there were 99 people in O’ahu shelters, including homeless residents of the city’s Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons facility. On Maui County, 40 people were reportedly in shelters as of about 4:30 p.m.

Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao said HFD has responded to 40 storm-related calls Saturday, primarily involving torn-off roofs or fallen trees. HFD, the Honolulu Police Department and other agencies including the National Guard have vehicles and resources positioned around the island to respond to emergencies as necessary.

Blangiardi emphasized that, unlike the Kona Low storms in March, “we know what to expect,” and “we’re not going to be surprised by Mother Nature.”

So far, only one person on O’ahu has reported a storm-related injury. Jim Ireland, director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, said an elderly woman reported being knocked off her feet by a strong gust of wind, but added that her injuries were not serious.

On the other hand, Hao said that a hiker was reportedly stranded on the Lulumahu Falls Trail. Shortly after 6 p.m., he said, rescue workers were ascertaining how to reach the hiker.

Hawaiian Electric announced that, as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, about 44,000 customers statewide were without power. The bulk of those outages — about 32,300 — were on Hawai’i Island, where wind gusts above 70 mph have been recorded. On O’ahu, about 8,400 customers were without power Saturday afternoon, while about 3,300 Maui customers were in an outage as well.

Hawaiian Electric also announced at the same time that it has restored power to more than 42,000 customers on Saturday, but as the storm progresses, customers may experience multiple outages and restorations over time.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, the storm had dropped up to 20 inches of rain in certain parts of the Big Island. Flash flood warnings are in effect for East Hawai’i until at least 10 p.m. Flood watches are in effect on all islands through at least Sunday night.

 More than 4,000 homes on Hawai’i Island lost power Saturday morning as Hurricane Lala approaches the state.

Hawaiian Electric announced that about 4,050 customers on the island, largely in Puna, North and South Kohala, and South Hilo were without power as of 7 a.m. Meanwhile, about 160 customers in Upcountry Maui and about 100 in the Hawai’i Kai area of O’ahu were also without power at the same time.

Hawaiian Electric staff are addressing the outages, but customers are advised to plan for possible extended outages as the storm progresses. Crews are standing ready to begin damage assessments once it is safe to do so.

The City and County of Honolulu opened eight hurricane refuge centers today at school facilities around the island: Blanche Pope, Kahuku and Nānākuli elementary schools and Castle, Kapolei, Mililani, Moanalua and Roosevelt high schools will remain open as shelters “as conditions warrant.”

All refuge shelters are pet-friendly, but people should bring their own food, water, medications and other supplies whenever possible.

The city relocated 63 residents of the Homeless Outreach and Navigation for the Unsheltered program to the Kapolei High School shelter. Tents at the HONU site are being disassembled until storm conditions abate.

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has advised residents to conserve water throughout the storm in case of power outages. According to a city announcement, the water system’s pumps rely on electricity to operate, so conservation can maintain reservoir levels and reduce system demand during an outage.

Residents are also urged to avoid hazardous ocean conditions, as lifeguards in Waikīkī and Ala Moana conducted 95 rescues on Friday alone. High surf warnings remain in effect for the windward shores of all islands at least until 6 a.m. Sunday.

All city parks and recreational facilities will close at 6 p.m. until further notice, including for permitted activities such as overnight camping. The city will assess on Sunday when it might be safe to reopen them. 

 "Damaging hurricane-force winds are expected on the Big Island of Hawai‘i later today, with the strongest wind gusts expected in areas of higher terrain," reports the 

 as it tracks Tropical Storm Lala. "Tropical-storm-force winds are already beginning on the Big Island, and preparations should now be complete. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts are also beginning across portions of the smaller islands and should continue through Sunday."

CPHC said that ﻿﻿﻿the Hawai‘i Island will see increasingly heavy rainfall this morning, which will then spread west across the Islands through the weekend.

"This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain," said CPHC. "﻿﻿﻿Large and dangerous waves are expected across portions of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend. Surf is already building along east-facing shores and will increase along exposed southern shores as Lala passes through the region. This heavy surf may cause localized coastal flooding and significant beach erosion."

Read on for the latest updates, including reports on official preparations underway.

As of 5 p.m. on Friday, Tropical Storm Lala is approximately 235 miles east south-east of South Point, Hawaiʻi and 440 miles southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour.

Gov. Josh Green called Lala an “enormous storm” during a press conference Friday. 

“Let’s just say this: it’s going to be a heck of a lot of wind and water."

“Just be very safe throughout this storm,” Green said. “We can repair roads, we can replace cars, we can fix schools but it’s hard for us if we lose one of the people we love.”

The storm is currently moving at 14 miles per hour and is anticipated to reach Hawaiʻi Island Saturday morning and Oʻahu Saturday evening.

The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for the counties of Maui, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi on Friday. Hawaiʻi Island remains under a hurricane warning as the storm is expected to become a category 1 hurricane by the time it reaches the island, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds that may cause flooding and landslides.

NWS Meteorologist John Bravender said that Lala is on track to reach just south of Hawaiʻi Island but it’s uncertain how the storm will interact with its terrain.

Residents are encouraged to review their emergency plan, secure outdoor items, charge electronic devices and have enough food, water and supplies. 

Hawaiʻi Department of Defense Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan said Friday that the Hawaiʻi National Guard is prepared to support county and state emergency response efforts with the activation of 180 Hawaiʻi National Guard personnel across the state and military high-yield vehicles. The Coast Guard is prepared to conduct search and rescue efforts, if needed.

According to Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda, the last hurricane that hit Hawaiʻi Island was in 1871. Hurricane Iselle peaked in the Pacific before it was downgraded to a strong tropical storm in August 2014.

Alameda encouraged Hawaiʻi Island residents to hunker down and stay off the roads.

City and County of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said at a press conference Friday that the City is preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

“The City is prepared. Now we need you to be prepared, too,” he said. “We can’t control the storm necessarily, but we can prepare for it.”

NWS estimates that the storm will bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to the Leeward side of Oʻahu, 4 to 6 inches of rain to the Windward side and 6 to 8 inches of rain in mountainous regions.

The City will open a non-emergency call center at 7 a.m. on Saturday, which can be reached at 808-723-8960. Residents are urged call 911 for all emergencies. 

At the Friday press conference, Blangiardi called the Kona Low storms in March a “reality check” and said that the City and County of Honolulu has been informed on how to prepare and respond to future storms.

According to Honolulu Police Department Major Cliff Ramson, commander of the major events division, the 

City and County departments hosted their own emergency centers during natural disasters like the Kona lows. The Joint Operations Center was established during the Kona Low storms to coordinate efforts and deploy first responders, and for this storm, the city activated the Joint Operations Center Friday morning.

“It’s an all hands on deck, just getting all the right people in the room together to identify and solve problems as they arise and direct resources as they’re most needed,” he said.

Police Chief David Lazar added that the police department is being proactive and is ready to deploy.

“We also want to tell the public that if anyone thinks they can go out and commit a crime during this time, they better think different,” he said.

Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager said that the surf will change quickly, with waves of up to 8 to 12 feet.

Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton said Friday that the department is not predicting any road closures, but the department will be monitoring conditions island-wide. He encouraged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and to never drive through standing water.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Facilities Maintenance has been preparing for the storm by clearing streams and bridges and opening stream mouths. Dam owners were directed by the state to inspect their facilities and dams have been secured, according to Green.

The Community Outreach Response and Engagement team has been engaging with the houseless populations and offering shelter with a focus on areas near bridges and streams, according to Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director Jim Ireland.

Hawaiʻi airports remain open. As of Friday afternoon, Hawaiian Airlines canceled 23 flights. 

Zippyʻs Restaurants has temporarily closed its Hilo location starting at 6 p.m. Friday through Saturday. 

State offices on Hawaiʻi Island and Maui will be closed over the weekend.

On Oʻahu, Capitol Modern will be closed Saturday and the Honolulu Museum of Art will be closed Sunday.

In advance of the storm, Hawaiian Electric "has increased 24/7 staffing and additional personnel" on Hawaiʻi Island, per a news release from the company at 7:30 p.m. "

Crews are at-the-ready in Hilo, Kona and Waimea, and the company is prepared to deploy more crews from other islands, as needed," Hawaiian Electric stated.

The City and County of Honolulu will open eight shelters in partnership with the American Red Cross on Oʻahu at 8 a.m. Saturday, which will remain open as conditions warrant. The shelters include Blanche Pope Elementary School, Castle High School, Kahuku Elementary School, Kapolei High School, Mililani High School, Moanalua High School, Nānākuli Elementary School and Roosevelt High School. All locations are pet friendly. Residents are encouraged to bring their own food, water, medicine and necessary pet supply.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Education is closing all campuses and offices on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokai at 5:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. All Oʻahu and Kauaʻi campuses and offices will be closed Saturday and Sunday. The cancelations include extracurricular activities, athletics and community uses of school facilities. Public schools statewide are scheduled to resume normal operations on Monday, Aug. 17.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"UPDATE, AUG. 14, 11:30 A.M.: "}]

As of 8 a.m. Friday, Tropical Storm Lala is approximately 365 miles east south-east of Hilo and 580 miles east south-east of Honolulu. Tropical Storm Lala is expected to become a hurricane as it approaches Hawaiʻi Island. The storm may produce rainfall of 8 to 12 inches across Maui and Hawaiʻi Island and 4 to 6 inches across the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. 

The National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for Hawaiʻi Island from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Sunday. The storm may develop into a category 1 or category 2 hurricane with the potential for winds of 74 to 110 miles per hour by the time it reaches Hawaiʻi Island.

Maui County is under a tropical storm warning from 6 a.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday. Oʻahu is under a tropical storm watch from 6 p.m. Saturday through 6 p.m. Sunday. 

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda signed an emergency proclamation Friday morning.

This is a quickly evolving situation and we urge our residents to act now to prepare for the storm by checking your emergency supplies, securing your property, and contacting neighbors who may need assistance,” Alameda said in a news release Friday. “Readiness requires all of us, and with a storm this close, a slight change in its track can greatly enhance rain and wind hazards across the island. We encourage everyone to stay safe, stay connected and be prepared to hunker down and stay home during severe weather.” 

Hawaiʻi County will open shelters at 6 p.m. Friday. Residents should bring their own food, water and medicine. The shelters include Ikuo Hisaoka Gymnasium, Waikoloa Elementary School cafeteria, Kahilu Town Hall, Honokaʻa Gym, Laupāhoehoe Public Charter School band room, Waiākea High School gym, Keaʻau Armory, Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility, Robert N. Herkes Gym, Nāʻālehu Elementary School gym, Kealakehe High School gym and Yano Hall.

Hawaiʻi County closed all solid waste facilities and camping permits and cancelled the Hawaiʻi Island Agrifood Summit in Honokaʻa and Waimea, the Hulu Street Evacuation Drill in Waikoloa and the Island Showdown at Hilo Drag Strip. All Hawaiʻi Island parks and solid waste facilities will be closed Saturday.

Hele-On Kakoʻo Paratransit Services will halt at 8 p.m. Friday and all fixed route Hele-On and Paratransit Services are cancelled for Saturday and Sunday.

Hawaiʻi County residents can request sandbags from the Department of Public Works at 

The University of Hawaʻi at Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College campus, office and off-campus locations will be closed Saturday and Sunday. All events are cancelled this weekend. Normal operations are scheduled to return Monday.

The City and County of Honolulu activated its Emergency Operations Center and the Honolulu Police Department’s Joint Operations Center Friday morning to bring together City departments, first responders and emergency management personnel. A 12-member team from South Carolina State Fire and the Palmetto Incident Support team will arrive on Oʻahu Friday to provide additional emergency management support.

The Department of Facility Maintenance will open stream mouths Friday evening at Pōkaʻi Bay and ʻUlehawa.

Residents of the City's Homeless Outreach and Navigation for the Unsheltered program will be relocated to Kapolei High School gymnasium Saturday morning.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a news release Friday morning, “We have spent the entire week preparing our City, our first responders and our critical infrastructure for this storm, and with Oʻahu now under a Tropical Storm Watch, we are moving into full operational readiness. I am asking everyone to finish your preparations today. Don’t wait for the weather to deteriorate. Stay informed, stay away from dangerous areas, and make sure your family knows what to do if conditions worsen. Check on your neighbors and especially our kūpuna. Our teams are ready, and we will be working around the clock throughout the weekend to keep our community safe."

 forecast Lala to "strengthen and become a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island of Hawai‘i on Saturday. A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the Big Island and a Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for Maui County. Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for O‘ahu and Kaua‘i Counties."

Heavy rains are forecast for Hawai‘i Island today, "spreading westward across the remainder of the island chain during the weekend. This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain."

"Large and dangerous waves, especially on the Big Island, are expected this weekend, with the greatest impacts along exposed windward and southern shores. This prolonged period of heavy surf may cause localized coastal flooding and significant beach erosion."

Tropical Storm Lala is located about 620 miles east south-east of Hilo, Hawaiʻi, and 830 miles east south-east of Honolulu moving west north-west at 10 miles per hour, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Lala is forecasted to be near or just south of Hawaiʻi Island on Saturday and pass south of the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 miles per hour.

Tropical Storm Lala is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rainfall across Maui and Hawaiʻi Island this weekend. Rainfall of two to four inches with maximum amounts of 8 inches are expected across the rest of the Hawaiian Islands.

The Emergency Operations Center and Honolulu Police Department's Joint Operations Center will activate at 7 a.m. Friday to bring City and County of Honolulu departments, first responder agencies and emergency management personnel to coordinate operations, monitor conditions and deploy resources as needed. The Community Outreach Response and Engagement will move to 24-hour operations Friday morning.

Rescue operators from the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department will conduct additional patrols along the South Shore starting 7 a.m. Friday through 7:30 p.m. 

City and County of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi stated in a news release Thursday afternoon, “We have spent this week preparing our City for this storm, and I want everyone on Oʻahu to use the time we have left to make sure they are ready. We still don't know exactly what Lala will bring to our island, and that uncertainty is precisely why we need to remain prepared and vigilant. Finish securing your home, know what your family will do if conditions become dangerous, and stay connected to official information. We are going to continue watching this storm very closely and will be ready to respond.”

The City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation is preparing for severe weather closures as early as Saturday.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is planning parkwide closures ahead of Tropical Storm Lala. 

Mauna Loa summit, Red Hill and Mauna Load Road past Kīpukapuaulu closed by 2 p.m. Thursday. Kīpukapuaulu remains closed due to hazard trees. The Welcome Center, Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store, Kahuku Unit, all trails and Nāhuku lava tube, tent camping at Nāmakanipaio campground, backcountry sites, Chain of Craters Road and the Crater Rim Drive East will close by noon Friday. Kīlauea Military Camp, Volcano House and the A-frame cabins at Nāmakanipaio will remain open for registered guests only.

Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site will close at 3 p.m. Friday and remain closed Saturday and Sunday. The 54th anniversary event scheduled for Saturday was canceled.

The Makalauna 2026 Gabby Pahinui Celebration at Waikīkī Beach Walk was postponed to Aug. 22. The event timeline and planned activities will remain the same and participating musicians may be updated.

Events at Kapolei Heritage Center were canceled for Saturday and Sunday.

Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency for Hawai’i Thursday as Tropical Storm Lala approaches.

, “Tropical Storm Lala poses a serious threat to our state, particularly Hawaiʻi Island — and we are taking action now to ensure resources are available where they are needed. Our state and county emergency teams are coordinating closely with federal partners. I urge everyone to secure their homes, gather essential supplies, review their family emergency plans and follow updates from trusted official sources. Please take this storm seriously and look out for one another.”

The proclamation activates the Major Disaster Fund, authorizes the Hawaiʻi National Guard if needed and directs state agencies to provide resources for emergency response efforts.

Tropical Storm Lala is forecasted to strengthen as it approaches Hawaiʻi Island.

The National Weather Service issued a hurricane watch for Hawaiʻi Island between 6 p.m. Friday through 6 p.m. Saturday and a tropical storm warning for Hawaiian offshore waters. A high surf advisory was issued early Thursday morning for south facing shores on all Hawaiian Islands through Thursday night. Breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet are expected to make swimming dangerous.

Tropical Storm Lala could bring heavy rainfall of approximately five to 10 inches and flash flooding from late Friday into the weekend.

According to a news release from the City and County of Honolulu, the Department of Facility Maintenance started opening stream mouths at Kapakahi Stream in Kāhala, Muliwai Ditch in Kāhala, Niu Valley Stream and Kuliʻouʻou Stream to improve water flow Thursday morning. Crews are expected to open the Kaʻelepulu stream mouth Thursday between 10 p.m. and midnight. Pōkaiʻi Bay and ʻUlehawa could be added to the stream-mouth opening schedule.

As of Thursday, TheBus, TheHandi-Van and Skyline continue to operate normally, and services could be changed or delayed as weather conditions deteriorate.

Department of Information Technology technicians are securing communications infrastructure, and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation crews are securing construction areas ahead of the storm.

City and County of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi stated in a news release Thursday morning, “We have been preparing for this storm throughout the week, and today we are moving into the final stages of those preparations. I am asking everyone on Oʻahu to do the same. Use today to finish what you need to do. Secure your property, make sure you have the supplies and medications you need, check on your kūpuna and neighbors, and know what you will do if conditions become dangerous. Our City teams are ready, and we need everyone to take this storm seriously and be ready as well.”

A ceremony and festival activities celebrating the 54th anniversary of the Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site scheduled for Saturday was cancelled due to the approaching storm.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"ORIGINAL REPORTING, AUG. 12: "}]

Residents are advised to make preparations as a tropical storm bears down on the state.

A tropical system, currently designated Tropical Cyclone One-C, is expected to strengthen into a tropical depression or storm by the end of Wednesday.

Lala1 16x9

<title>UPDATE: Hurricane Lala impacts Islands</title>

As of Saturday evening, the storm had dropped up to 20 inches of rain in certain parts of the Big Island. Flash flood warnings are in effect for East Hawai’i until at least 10 p.m. Flood watches are in effect on all islands through at least Sunday night.

UPDATE: Hurricane Lala impacts Islands

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

When fire swept through Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, the banyan tree on Front Street remained standing, shielding the buildings behind it from the flames.

Only a small portion of the tree trunk caught fire, and that’s because it was near a post that caught fire, Duane Sparkman, chair of the Maui County Arborist Committee, told Aloha State Daily this summer.

, on Maui in June, ahead of the third anniversary of the fire, which killed more than 100 people and destroyed much of Lahaina town.

And while it survived the fire, the banyan, planted more than 150 years ago, was dried out by the ambient heat from the inferno engulfing neighboring buildings.

All of that heat, says Sparkman, “was basically microwaving the tree; it was cooking the tree.”

According to the arborist, the banyan itself saved the harbor bathrooms behind it, blocking the heat and the brunt force of the fire, and stopping the flames from reaching the building.

[{"type":"text","text":"Today, the banyan is still on the mend, and will be for a while."}]

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