Upper Pahala residents freed after roads cleared of Hurricane Lala storm debris

PAHALA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Since Hurricane Lala barreled through last weekend, some upper Pahala residents relied on helicopters to drop off basic necessities because of washed-out roads.

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After several days of being trapped, families in Pahala’s Wood Valley finally have a way out after construction crews worked tirelessly to clear roads and bridges of massive boulders, uprooted trees, and broken asphalt.

Mike Johnson has lived in Wood Valley for nine years and rode out the storm in his home, comparing the hurricane-force winds and heavy rains to a warzone.

“The face of the valley has changed just by these, these new watercourses or boulders,” he said. “It was so noisy. There was lightning and thunder all that night when it was raining so hard we couldn’t hear the thunder because of the rocks rolling down, huge rocks.”

In the days that followed, helicopter deliveries of essential items were a lifeline.

By mid-week, roads were clear enough for convoys of volunteers to go in and drop off what residents needed.

“We just been bringing gas, water, food, ice, butane,” said community volunteer Casey-Leigh Sabate-Hauanio.

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Seeing the devastation all around Kaʻū, this group of volunteers knew they had to jump in and help.

“We have family out here, but we [want to] help everybody as much as we can, especially the people that’s stuck out there,” Sabate-Hauanio said.

Residents and volunteers praised the construction companies who brought in heavy machinery to clear the roads.

“Alpha Glover, you know, all of them are doing as much as they can to steady and keep the roads good before the next storm comes,” Johnson said. “Good to have the road open, but we still are, of course, out of power and water. We have no water.”

While residents themselves face hardships, they’re also keeping their neighbors in mind.

“Help the people around you and… it’ll be a great experience because a lot of people are helping and it brings our community a lot closer,” Johnson added.

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