Lala wind gusts uproot trees, damage homes in West Oahu

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – West Oahu residents were shocked by the strength of the winds from Lala, which were seemingly amplified by Waianae’s mountain range and valleys.

Read more Power outages impact 193K across Hawaii after Lala damages grid lines

Hawaii News Now drove around the coast and found some stunningly damaged landscapes.

At Waianae Intermediate School, a huge monkeypod tree was uprooted by the wind and is putting a lot of pressure on power lines.

At Maili Beach Park, hardy hau trees were uprooted by a gust of wind at about 4 a.m.

Maili resident John Rogers said, “A really strong wind came and ripped down all these trees one time.”

Read more Tree rips through St. Joseph’s Catholic Church convent in Makawao

Widespread neighborhood damage

There was also significant and costly damage at a Waianae subdivision near Leihoku Elementary School, with many trees and roofs damaged.

Resident Randy Inaea caught video of a tree being knocked down.

“This morning, the wood was really blowing, and it was more gusty than what we’re expecting. I thought when we were on 30, but it was more like 50-plus,” he said. “Where the mountain of rain is set up, it really created a funnel-type situation, or a wooden tunnel.”

Inaea said the storm served as a wake-up call — one he hopes to never get again.

“It’s definitely gonna be an awakening, because if it ever becomes a category one or more, it’s gonna be crazy,” he said.

While severe weather conditions lasted for about a day, residents on the west side say cleanup will take much longer.

Read more State and county offices, schools, and courts closed statewide Monday following Lala