Trump approves emergency declaration for Hawaii County after Hurricane Lala

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – President Donald Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Hawaii County following Hurricane Lala.

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FEMA announced Tuesday that federal disaster assistance is now available to supplement state and local response efforts for impacts from the storm between Aug. 14 and 16.

The declaration currently applies to Hawaii County and allows FEMA to coordinate federal relief efforts and provide equipment and resources needed to support emergency response and protect public health and safety.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D) said in a statement “This emergency declaration will bring critical federal resources to communities impacted by Hurricane Lala and help with restoring essential services, clearing debris, and repairing damaged infrastructure.”

Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75% federal funding.

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Hirokazu Toiya has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for response operations in the affected area.

“We will continue working with Governor Green, county leaders, and the administration to make sure Hawaiʻi gets the support it needs to recover,” Schatz said.

FEMA said additional designations could be made later if requested by the state and supported by further damage assessments.

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