North Shore residents brace for Lala while still recovering from March floods

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – On Oahu’s North Shore, families hit hard by the Kona low floods in March are hoping Lala will spare them this round.

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On the North Shore, things seemed fairly calm Thursday, with many people simply going about their business.

However, as they continue to recover from March’s devastating Kona lows, they now prepare for possible impacts from Lala.

Some homes, especially at Otake Camp, haven’t even been rebuilt, while some are still undergoing repairs.

Lala is steadily intensifying and moving towards the island chain and could bring strong winds and more rain. It’s something the North Shore Community knows can pose a huge threat if rivers swell too quickly.

Waialua resident Michael Miller’s home was spared from the worst of the March flooding but called the devastation around him a “wake-up call.”

“It’s concerning, but you know I’ve been through a lot of storms here over the years and so. Yeah, last one was a wake-up call,” he said.

Miller was preparing ahead of time, and his biggest concern was the power going out.

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“My main concern is the power going out because if the wind gets high, they’re going to shut it down. So that’s why I was going to check for a generator and hopefully no more flooding,” he said.

At the Haleiwa Ace Hardware store, the team there told Hawaii News Now people have been buying supplies.

“Down here we’re so paranoid, you know, but they’ve been getting a lot of sandbags, ok, like this here, batteries, lights,” said Marguerite Emilyon, who works at the store.

Emilyon added some customers have even picked up plywood to board up windows just in case. She said while they’re hopeful nothing will happen, many people aren’t taking any chances.

“I have faith in the community because right now, since they’re clear off the streams, I feel more comfortable, and then when I’m driving home I see that Lake Wilson is really down, so maybe we got it prepared this time,” she said.

ACE Hardware also had a section at the front of the store specifically for hurricane preparedness, and they also encourage people to keep a very close eye on the track of Lala as it continues to develop over the coming days.

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