State braces for incoming storm as Lala cleanup continues on Hawaii Island

News admin August 21, 2026 0 Comments

State braces for incoming storm as Lala cleanup continues on Hawaii Island

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – State and county officials are preparing for another tropical system this weekend as they continue recovery efforts from Hurricane Lala, which left severe damage on Hawaiʻi Island and claimed two lives.

Tropical Depression Two-C, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Moke as it passes south of the state, is expected to bring 10 to 15 inches of rain to southeast sections of Hawaiʻi Island and East Maui from Saturday night through Monday morning.

Officials are warning residents to prepare immediately, as the ground is already saturated from Lala.

Storm damage and cemetery recovery

Mud and debris up to 10 feet deep buried homes in Naʻalehu, where numerous houses were destroyed, parks were leveled, and the local elementary school was badly damaged.

“We will be able to in the coming days and weeks tell you how many houses were totally destroyed. It’s a lot,” Gov. Green said.

While bridges in the region remain intact and drivable, Green said the state is considering building a temporary recovery village similar to Lahaina to house displaced residents.

A special National Guard team recovered more than 60 remains after local cemeteries in the Kaʻū District were inundated by floodwaters.

“They’re really rushing, trying to be thoughtful, trying to be culturally appropriate, but trying to get them secured should the heavy rains come in over the weekend,” said Hawaiʻi Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan.

National Guard troops and county partners are also going door to door to determine if anyone is missing. “As we canvass the area and we do these wellness checks in a methodical fashion through some of the residential areas, I think that number (of those unaccounted for) will become smaller and smaller,” Logan said.

Approximately 136 National Guard soldiers and airmen are currently deployed statewide to assist with debris clearance and monitor vulnerable reservoirs, including the Wahiawa Dam.

State emergency officials are also coordinating the potential transport of heavy equipment and 100 additional utility personnel from California on military C-17 aircraft to accelerate recovery.

Power restoration and grid upgrades

Approximately 13,380 customers remain without power across the state, down from a peak of 200,000 during the height of Lala.

While power has been fully restored on Oʻahu and Maui, restoration is at 80% on Hawaiʻi Island.

Heavy damage to transmission lines in mountainous terrain means full restoration in Kaʻū and Pāhoa will take the longest.

Green called for a long-term overhaul of the state’s energy grid to prevent future widespread outages, suggesting the implementation of microgrids in remote areas in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“I think that we have to have a general grid upgrade. It’s something that I’ve expressed very openly to HECO’s leadership and they acknowledge that,” he said. “My discussion about other energy companies like JERA and others, it’s not about just diversifying energy. It’s about having extra resources in general in a very rural state.”

To help residents replace spoiled food, the Department of Human Services is preparing emergency replacement SNAP benefits.

Philanthropy and community response

To support immediate recovery, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation has deployed more than $732,000 in grants through its Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund, which was established during the spring Kona low storms.

“Disaster support doesn’t happen at a straight line and no two communities face the same challenges. So this fund allows us to direct support to trusted groups where it is needed most as needs evolve over time and listening to community,” said Terry George, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation CEO and president.

Philanthropists have donated over $5 million to the fund, including $3 million from Uniqlo owner Tadashi Yanai, and $1 million each from Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff and Dell Technologies’ Michael Dell.

“These are resources that can do things that on occasion government can’t wade into on private properties or immediate actions that we want to get going,” Green said.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs also allocated $500,000 to the relief efforts, and Norwegian Cruise Line donated $50,000.

Vibrant Hawaiʻi has received more than 1,200 requests for aid representing over 6,000 residents, with nearly 100% of households asking for replacement food.

“The funding that we’ve received is being prioritized for those immediate needs so folks can have access to food, replace the food they’ve lost, get the gas they need to keep their generators running as well as their cars,” said Janice Ikeda, Vibrant Hawaiʻi CEO.

Residents affected by Lala can apply for assistance via Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s online form here.

Nonprofits seeking financial support for community response and recovery efforts are encouraged to apply through the new JustFund application available through Funder Hui’s Hawai‘i Resilience & Recovery Funder Collaborative — a statewide philanthropy network of more than 35 funders — to streamline disaster giving.

George said the relief effort will require everyone’s kokua, and donations are welcome.

“If you know who to direct your resources to and you have a favorite nonprofit, go ahead and give it to them,” George said. “But if you also are not sure and you want to give it to the kind of calabash that we have at Hawaii Community Foundation, where we can actually, with our expert staff, go out and get it to folks who really know what the needs are and really can make $1 work a long way, then you can contribute to (the Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund).”