Oahu residents urged to stay indoors as Hurricane Lala approaches

News admin August 16, 2026 0 Comments

Oahu residents urged to stay indoors as Hurricane Lala approaches

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The City and County of Honolulu is urging residents and visitors to prepare to remain in a safe location Saturday night as Hurricane Lala moves through the state, bringing deteriorating weather conditions to Oahu as the evening progresses.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center and Honolulu Police Department Joint Operations Center are fully activated to monitor conditions and coordinate countywide response operations.

Watch the city’s full press conference:

Severe weather forecast overnight

As Hurricane Lala’s center passes near the southern portion of Hawaii Island and continues moving west, conditions on Oahu are expected to worsen Saturday evening and overnight.

The National Weather Service warned that damaging tropical storm-force winds could begin on Oahu as early as Saturday evening, with locally stronger gusts possible over and downwind of mountainous terrain.

Heavy rainfall is expected to increase Saturday night and continue into Sunday, with possible flash flooding, rapidly rising streams, landslides, road closures, and dangerous surf along east-facing shores.

City crews are stationed island-wide to respond to flooding, downed trees, blocked roads, and other storm-related emergencies.

“Hurricane Lala is here in our state, and conditions on Oahu are expected to worsen as the night goes on,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi said. “Our message at this point is very simple: please make safety your priority tonight. Our first responders and city crews are positioned across the island and will be working throughout the night. Please help them by not putting yourself in a situation where you need to be rescued.”

Hurricane refuge areas open

Eight pet-friendly city refuge areas opened at 8 a.m. Saturday for individuals needing shelter:

As of 4 p.m. Saturday, 32 individuals were staying at the refuge sites. Officials advised those planning to utilize the shelters to bring food, water, medications, pet supplies, and other essential items.

Impacts to city services and transit

Honolulu departments announced widespread closures and service changes starting Saturday night:

Public Transit: TheBus will suspend routes that are scheduled for 8:31 p.m. or later, system-wide, until further notice. Any routes scheduled to depart at 8:30 p.m. or earlier will start their trip and continue to its scheduled end point. The Skyline rail system is expected to run through 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

Refuse Collection: The Department of Environmental Services will close all refuse convenience centers, transfer stations, and the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill on Sunday. Residents must secure their gray, blue, and green trash carts to prevent them from tipping over or becoming airborne in high winds.

Parks and Recreation: All city parks and recreational facilities, including permitted activities, overnight camping, and People’s Open Markets, will suspend operations at 6 p.m. Saturday and remain closed Sunday. City botanical gardens will also be closed Sunday.

Water Conservation: The Board of Water Supply is asking all residents to limit water usage to essential needs such as drinking, cooking, and sanitation. Conserving water will help keep county reservoirs full in the event that power outages affect water pumps.

RELATED POST: Island-by-island list of Hawaii closures, cancellations

Residents are urged to stay home, avoid flooded roads, stay away from rapidly rising streams, and keep mobile devices fully charged. If an emergency occurs, call 911.

For non-emergency storm information, residents can contact the city’s call center at (808) 723-8960. Urgent county notifications are available by signing up at HNLAlert.gov or texting HNLALERT to 888777.