The County of Hawaiʻi announces that all non-emergency County operations will remain suspended on Tuesday, Aug. 18 as the island continues to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Lala. Governor Josh Green has also announced that Department of Education schools on Hawai‘i Island will be closed Tuesday.  

The County continues to coordinate a multi-agency effort with state and community partners to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Lala, with a concentrated effort to restore critical road and water access in the Ka‘ū District and provide relief to heavily impacted communities.

“Among the biggest issues we continue to face are widespread power outages and road damage,” said Mayor Kimo Alameda. “We ask that people use these closures as an opportunity to stay home and off the roads, which will support the tremendous work of our utility companies and road crews as they restore electricity and road access in communities across the island.”

On Monday, Mayor Alameda, Governor Josh Green and Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen F. Logan met with residents in Nāʻālehu and conducted a flyover of storm damage.

“What we saw gives us hope,” said Mayor Alameda. “Roads are getting cleared, debris is getting cleaned up, and the people, while hurting, remain strong. There is a lot of work still to be done but know that we stand with you completely, and we are working around the clock with our government and community partners to get you the help that you need.”

Roads

The County Department of Public Works, the State Department of Transportation and other partners continue to aggressively work to reopen roads.  

Access to Pāhala and Nāʻālehu on Highway 11 has been restored for emergency and essential travel only.

Public works and road crews continue to work around the clock to clear and restore roads in close coordination with utility companies.

Water Service and Assistance

The Department of Water Supply (DWS) has restored water service to customers in Pāhala. Out of an abundance of caution, DWS has issued a boil water notice for customers in Pāhala until further notice.

DWS has also positioned a water tanker with potable water in Nā‘ālehu across from Ace Hardware. Water tankers are also being provided to the Pāpaʻikou Gym, Kulaʻimano Community Center in Pepeʻekeo, and Makapala Road in North Kohala. Water is available there 24 hours a day for essential uses like drinking, cooking and hygiene.

Hawai‘i County Civil Defense’s human services branch coordinated with Vibrant Hawaiʻi and other community partners to facilitate the distribution of water, hot meals, and other supplies on Monday at nine Points of Distribution (PODS) in the Puna and Ka‘ū Districts.  The County and community partners will continue to coordinate relief efforts in heavily impacted communities. For updated information on PODS, visit www.vibranthawaii.org/lala.

Monetary donations to support residents impacted by the hurricane can be sent to the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Hawaiʻi Island Strong Fund: www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/give/hawaii-island-strong.

Other Updates

• An emergency shelter at Nāʻālehu Elementary School gym remains open.

• County beaches, parks and parks facilities will remain closed on Tuesday.

• All Hele-on routes, except for Routes 10, 12 & 90, will be open on Tuesday.

• County transfer stations and landfills that are normally scheduled to be open on Tuesday will be open, except for transfer stations in Pāhala and Wai‘ōhinu.

Report Damage and Requests for Assistance

If you sustained property damage, or you and your household need help as a result of Hurricane Lala, please report it to Civil Defense and its partners.

Damage reports can be submitted at the following link – Bit.ly/CDDisasterRecovery – or by calling Civil Defense at (808) 935-0031.

To report agricultural damage, call the USDA Farm Service Agency at (808) 933-8334.

Your reporting of damages will help Civil Defense to better understand the magnitude of impact caused by Hurricane Lala, and document it for potential future assistance to recover and reduce the harm caused by future storms.