UPDATE, AUG. 17, 5:30 P.M. State government offices and public schools with reopen in the City and County of Honolulu, Kauaʻi County and Maui County on Tuesday. Government offices and schools will remain closed on Tuesday for Hawaiʻi County.
Nāʻalehu Elementary School, Kaʻū High School and Pāhala Elementary will continue to be closed due to flooding.
Gov. Josh Green said at a news conference on Monday in Hilo that it was an emotional day seeing the flood damage in Kaʻū where he first worked as a physician in Hawaiʻi. Residents are still without water and power.
“It’s the flood and the mud and the rock that poured through Nā’ālehu, Pahala, Waiohinu. These communities have a lot of cleanup to do and they’re going to need a lot of support,” Green said. County parks also faced extensive damage.
Green said that he believes the Kaʻū area will be accessible within days, and state roads will see “significant appropriations” in the years to come for infrastructure improvements.
“Itʻs going to start in Kaʻū. This region is going to get our greatest attention right now from the storm because they suffered the most,” he said.
According to Green, a 90-year-old woman died in the flood in Nāʻalehu.
Hawaiʻi Fire Department Chief Daniel Volpe said that the woman was identified as a missing person and discovered deceased on Monday afternoon. The Hawaiʻi Fire Department Chief Reed Mahuna said that the department will investigate the cause of death, but “we don’t believe it was anything other than the disaster at this time.”
Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, adjutant general and commander of the Hawaiʻi National Guard, said 240 national guard soldiers and airmen have been activated, including 60 on Hawaiʻi Island. The National Guardsmen will go door to door in Nāʻalehu and check on residents.
“We’re going to be here until it’s over,” Logan said.
The City and County of Honolulu will resume normal government operations Tuesday as the city makes progress towards recovery and restoration.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a news release Monday, “Our first responders, emergency personnel, City crews, utility workers and so many others have done an extraordinary job responding to this storm and beginning the recovery. There is still work to be done, particularly in some of our hardest-hit communities, and that work will continue. But we believe we are at a point where we can safely reopen City government and continue serving the public.”
Municipal golf courses, the Honolulu Zoo, Satellite City Halls and Driver Licensing Centers, public transportation and refuse collection will resume normal operations. Some city parks and gardens are still without power and some have sustained damaged, so some park facilities will remain closed.
The Cityʻs informational call center, which can be reached at 808-723-8960, will remain open until 11 p.m. Monday and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday for non-emergency, storm-related information.
The City closed hurricane refuge shelters on Monday. HONU residents who were displaced ahead of the storm will remain at ʻEwa Mahiko District Park until Wednesday, when they are expected to return to the Kapolei Musubi lot.
According to Hawaiian Electric, 103,980 customers remain without power. Hawaiian Electric has deployed more than 500 employees, contractors and support workers to support damage assessment and power restoration, according to a spokesperson. Hawaiian Electric requested assistance from the Western Regional Mutual Assistance Group and approximately 100 additional utility personnel will arrive from partner utilities starting Tuesday.
“Crews are prioritizing work that will restore the greatest number of customers safely, beginning with damage and repairs to transmission lines. Those lines are the backbone of the grid, connecting generation sources to communities, and must be repaired before neighborhood distribution-system repairs can fully proceed,” the spokesperson stated in an email to ASD. “The major impacts following the storm include widespread power outages, downed trees, damaged poles and lines, road closures, flooding, debris and access challenges in rugged or remote areas.”
UPDATE, AUG. 17, 2:30 P.M.: While Hurricane Lala did not make landfall on Hawaiʻi Island, with the eye of the storm veering within 30 miles of the island’s South Point on Saturday, it still brought wind gusts between 60 and 91 miles per hour, downed trees, record rainfall amounts, landslides and flooding to Hawaiʻi Island. All warnings and watches associated with Hurricane Lala have been canceled.
Meteorologist Thomas Vaughn told Aloha State Daily Monday that the storm formed as a combination of the El Niño season, the climate pattern that makes for a move active hurricane season in the Pacific, high pressure systems to the north east, sea surface temperatures and wind sheer.
According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, a broad area of low pressure to the east south-east of the Hawaiian Islands has a 50% chance of forming into a cyclone.
Vaughn said that while there is uncertainty if the system will form into a cyclone, “it is hurricane season, so you should be creating some sort of plan if and when something were to impact you.”
Hurricane Lala damaged electrical infrastructure on Hawaʻi Island, leaving 41,190 customers without power. Crews repaired three major transmission lines on Saturday. Teams from Oʻahu will arrive on Hawaiʻi Island Monday to help restore power, and three helicopters are inspecting six transmission lines across the island.
As of 11 a.m. Monday, approximately 117,120 Hawaiian Electric customers are without power, including 69,150 customers on Oʻahu and 6,780 customers in Maui County.
Most of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park remains closed without power. Park rangers reopened Crater Rim Drive West from the park entrance to Uēkahuna at the summer of Kīlauea volcano Monday morning. The park has no power, phone service or internet.
Intersections where traffic signals are out should be treated as all-way stops. Waikīkī, ʻEwa Beach and Waiʻanae are seeing heavier congestion and travel times due to non-functioning traffic signals.
Hurricane Lala set record rainfall on Hawaiʻi Island and Maui. Hilo received 6.82 inches of rain, breaking the 1969 record of 5.1 inches, and Kahului received 0.29 inches of rain, breaking the 1993 record of 0.23 inches. The storm also broke a daily precipitation records in Honolulu, Hilo and Kahului.
The Manoa Stream rose to 14.03 feet at 5:20 a.m. Sunday, according to a USGS stream gauge. Eight stream gauges on Hawaiʻi Island malfunctioned on Saturday. The gauge at Paʻauau Gulch in Pahala, Hawaiʻi Island rose from .38 feet to 6.15 feet Saturday night before the gauge malfunctioned.
A brown water advisory remains in place for all Hawaiian Islands. The Department of Health recommends that people stay out of affected waters for 48 to 72 hours after it has stopped raining and beaches have received full sunshine.
High surf warnings were cancelled and the surf is expected decline as the storm moves further from the Hawaiian Islands.
The City and County of Honolulu reported Monday morning it is in “full cleanup and recovery mode” following Hurricane Lala.
The City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services reopened all convenience centers, transfer stations and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill on Monday. Regular curbside refuse collection is continuing as scheduled.
All commercial harbors reopened as of 4 p.m. Sunday.
Starlink is providing free internet service to impacted Hawaiʻi customers through Sept. 17. No action is required for existing customers.
Vibrant Hawaiʻi is collecting donations to fund food, water, tarps and clean up efforts on Hawaiʻi Island and deploying trained chainsaw teams to assist residents blocked in their homes.
Hawaiʻi residents whose food purchased with SNAP benefits was lost due to impacts from Hurricane Lala can apply for replacement benefits through the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services.
UPDATE, AUG. 16, 7 P.M.: Government offices and public schools will be closed Monday to support response and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Lala.
According to a news release issued Sunday evening, “the statewide closure will allow emergency response, recovery and restoration efforts to continue while communities across Hawaiʻi recover from the storm.”
Governor Josh Green stated in a news release, “The safety of our people remains our highest priority as we’re responding to these storm impacts. Our state crews continue to work around the clock to protect life and property, and we encourage our residents and visitors to continue to shelter in place.”
Department of Land and National Resources State Parks on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island will remain closed until further notice.
As of Sunday evening, all airports are open, but some flights may be delayed or cancelled. Hawaiʻi Island harbors and Kahului Harbor and Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanaʻi are open. Kaunakakai Harbor on Molokai, Nāwiliwili and Port Allen on Lanaʻi and Oʻahu harbors remain closed pending port assessment.
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education public schools and offices will be closed Monday.
UH Mānoa, Windward Community College and Kapiʻolani Community College are currently without power. Updates will be provided late Sunday night regarding campus operations for Monday.
City and County of Honolulu non-essential offices and services will be closed Monday. All public park facilities, the Honolulu Zoo, municipal golf courses, city botanical gardens, satellite city halls and driver licensing centers will be closed Monday.
“While the storm has passed, our work is not finished,” City and County of Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi said. “Our first responders, emergency personnel and City crews have worked tirelessly throughout this storm, and Monday will be an important day for assessing damage, clearing roads and debris, restoring services and helping our communities recover. This coordinated decision by the Governor and county mayors will allow us to keep our resources focused on that work while keeping unnecessary traffic off our roads and giving our communities time to recover.”
UPDATE, AUG. 16, 5:15 P.M.: A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Kauaʻi and the Hawaiian Islands are still under a flood watch as Lala continues to produce heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The National Weather Service discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning for Oʻahu at 2 p.m. Sunday.
As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Lala was approimately 240 miles west of Honolulu and holding steady southwest of Kauaʻi County. Heavy rainfall and the potential for flooding and mudslides will continue through Sunday night or early Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Large waves generated by Lala will continue to impact the Hawaiian Islands and may cause coastal flooding and beach erosion.
Hawaiian Electric restored power to approximately 180,000 customers Sunday after Hurricane Lala and 191,800 customers are without power. Customers on Hawaiʻi Island are asked to prepare for extended outages in the hardest hit rural areas as road closures, flooding, fallen trees and debris and continuing incelement weather slows the restoration process. Approximately 130,100 are without power on Oʻahu, approximatey 15,800 Maui County residents are without power and 45,900 customers are without power on Hawaiʻi Island.
Cell service in parts of Central Oʻahu and the North Shore is intermittent.
City, county and state crews are responding to road and lane closures across the state caused by flooding, fallen trees and debris. Motorists should avoid driving on flooded or debris-covered roads.
Honolulu Fire Department fielded nearly 700 calls over the weekend and responded to calls about 175 downed trees, 79 blown roofs, 39 downed power lines, 16 water evacuations, four building fires, one high angle rescue and one swimmer rescue.
The City and County of Honolulu is transitioning overnight shelter operations to Booth District Park, ʻEwa Mahiko District Park and Kāneʻohe District Park at 6 p.m. Sunday. According to a news release, 247 people sought refuge in the hurricane refuge shelters at the peak of operations and 127 people reamin.
Hawaiʻi is currently under a statewide Brown Water Advisory following Hurricane Lala.
Hawaiʻi Department of Education closed Nāʻālehu Elementary School through Thursday due to storm-related damage to the campus and road closures. Kaʻū High School and Pāhala Elementary School will be closed Monday.
Honolulu Zoo, indoor park facilities, most botanical gardens, transfer stations and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill will reopen Monday. Wahiawā Botanical Garden will remain closed Monday. Outdoor park facilities will be reassessed Monday.
UPDATE, AUG. 16, 12:15 P.M.: More than 100 homes on Hawai’i Island have been damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Lala, Gov. Josh Green said Sunday.
Some parts of the Big Island received more than two feet of rain since the storm reached Hawai’i, Green said at a media briefing Sunday morning. Laupāhoehoe in North Hilo received 32 inches of rainfall, and Green said a “river of water” flooded parts of Na’alehu and that several smaller bridges connecting Volcano to Na’alehu were impassable.
So far, there is only one reported storm-related casualty: Green said a fatal car crash occurred on the Big Island Saturday, although he added that whether that death is found to have been directly caused by the storm is a matter for local law enforcement.
As of 7 a.m., nearly 200,000 people were without power statewide. Hawaiian Electric reported that “all of the east side and south sides” of the Big Island were out of power, along with Waimea and Honoka’a, for a total of about 58,000 customers.
About 110,700 customers were without power on O’ahu, and about 28,700 were without power in Maui, Lāna’i and Molokai.
Crews are conducting damage assessments as areas become accessible. However, HECO warned that customers, particularly those in the rural areas of Hawai’i Island, “should prepare for extended outages lasting weeks or even months.”
On O’ahu, fallen boulders have closed Pali Highway, although Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton said crews expect to reopen the highway later today.
Morton said bus services are gradually resuming route-by-route today as DTS determines which roads are passable. He added that many traffic lights throughout the island are out of power and advised drivers to remain cautious.
O’ahu residents are urged to report any damage to their residents to the City and County of Honolulu at honolulu.gov/homedamage.
UPDATE, AUG. 15, 8 P.M.: 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.
UPDATE, AUG. 15, 10 A.M.: 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.
UPDATE, AUG. 15, 5:44 A.M.: "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 Central Pacific Hurricane Center 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.
UPDATE, AUG. 14, 8 P.M.: 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.
UPDATE, AUG. 14, 2:30 P.M.: 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.
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 dpwhwy@hawaiicounty.gov or 808-961-8349.
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."
UPDATE, AUG. 14, 5:53 A.M.: The Central Pacific Hurricane Center 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."
UPDATE, AUG. 13, 4:35 P.M.: 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.
UPDATE, AUG. 13, 1:30 P.M.: Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency for Hawai’i Thursday as Tropical Storm Lala approaches.
Green stated in a news release Thursday, “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.
UPDATE, AUG. 13, 11:07 A.M.: 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.
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.
The National Weather Service’s current projected trajectory for the system places Hawai‘i squarely in its path, with the system expected to reach the state Saturday morning. Heavy rains are expected to reach Hawai‘i Island on Friday, Maui on Saturday, and the remaining islands on Sunday.
NWS is currently anticipating the winds speeds of at least 39 miles per hour, with an outside possibility of speeds as high as 74 miles per hour. The first winds from the storm are expected to reach the Big Island also on Friday.
In anticipation of the storm, county and state officials have urged residents to prepare now. Residents should ensure they have emergency supplies — food, water, medication, batteries and other essentials — to last at least 14 days, review household emergency plans including evacuation routes, secure outdoor loose items, clear drains and gutters to prevent flooding, and keep vehicles fueled.
Hawaiian Electric advises residents to also note the location of power lines around homes, and stay at least 10 feet away from them while securing the property. Portable generators should be placed in well-ventilated areas outside the home.
As high winds are expected, residents are also urged to use extreme caution with open flames or equipment that could generate a spark.
The Hawai‘i County Mayor’s Office warned that, because the storm is developing closer to the state than is typical, impacts could occur with less warning than usual.
Residents should subscribe to emergency alerts via the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency and their county’s Civil Defense or Emergency Management department.
On O‘ahu, the Honolulu Police Department announced Wednesday morning it may activate its Joint Operations Center to coordinate emergency response efforts.
The City and County of Honolulu is also conducting additional preparations for the storm, including clearing debris from waterways such as Mānoa Stream to mitigate potential flooding, and securing construction areas to prevent wind-blown materials.
Additional updates are expected as the storm continues to develop.
Haley Lehman can be reached at haley@alohastatedaily.com.
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