What you need to know about Hurricane Lala recovery, Monday closures on the Big Island

Updated at 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 17. Information will be regularly updated.

Lala has moved past the Big Island, but thousands are without power, bridges are destroyed leaving many residents stranded, property and businesses are damaged and multiple roads remain closed.

Now, the recovery begins especially in the rural Kaʻū District.

Here is what you need to know on the Big Island.

Public schools

All Hawaiʻi State Department of Education schools and public charter schools will be closed Monday.

The additional closure will allow time to complete campus safety assessments, restore utilities where necessary and address storm-related impacts, the state said in a news release.

Nāʻālehu Elementary School will remain closed to students and staff through Thursday, Aug. 20, because of storm-related damage and road closures affecting safe access. Families will receive updates directly from their schools regarding instructional plans and reopening timelines. Public schools statewide are already closed Friday in observance of Statehood Day.

Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School may be closed longer. The department continues to assess campus conditions and roadway accessibility.

Airports

Hilo International Airport (ITO) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) reopened Sunday morning after airport personnel completed runway and terminal inspections. Passengers should check with their airline on flight status before going to the airport and should plan ahead for longer wait times to check in and clear security screening.

Harbors

Hawai‘i Island harbors in Hilo and Kawaihae are open and operating.

Brown water advisory

The Hawaii Department of Health has issued a brown water advisory for the Big Island. After storms or heavy rain, the water may contain higher than normal pollutant levels. The Department recommends staying out of these affected waters for 48 to 72 hours after the rain has stopped and after the beach has received full sunshine.

The Department of Health advises the public to avoid swimming, wading in, or drinking water from any freshwater streams or pond to prevent leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira bacteria.

If the water is brown, turn around. For more information and updates, click here.

County water service

Effective immediately and until further notice, an Essential Needs Only Notice has been issued for all Department of Water Supply customers due to the adverse storm conditions, which are causing power outages islandwide.

Essential needs are for drinking, cooking or personal hygiene only.

Please call (808) 961-8790 for emergencies.

Hawaiian Electric

As of 7 a.m. on Monday, about 39,400 customers remain without power; most outages are in the Puna area, North and South Kona, North and South Kohala, Hamakua, and South Hilo.

Crews repaired three major transmission lines and teams were deployed to Puna and Kona Mauka for damage assessments.

Vegetation management crews are trimming and removing trees and branches that fell on transmission lines. Additionally, teams of engineers are flying out to Hawaiʻi Island from Oʻahu tomorrow to support restoration efforts.

As restoration work continues, customers in heavily damaged rural areas are asked to prepare for extended outages.

Two of Hawaiʻi Island’s largest independent power producers, Puna Geothermal Venture and Hāmākua Energy Partners, as well as wind energy providers Hāwī Renewable Development and Pakini Nui, were unable to connect to the island’s grid as of 4 p.m. Saturday, the state said in a news release. 

Hawaiian Electric, which is part of the Western Region Mutual Assistance Group, has requested personnel from partner electric utilities from the mainland to help expedite post-storm restoration. Roughly 100 crew members are anticipated to arrive as early as Tuesday and will begin work on Wednesday.

Customers can call Hawaiian Electric’s Big Island Trouble Line at 1-855-304-9191 to report any downed power lines, which should always be treated as energized and dangerous, or for emergency assistance call 911.

The company is experiencing a high volume at its customer call center. Information about current outages is available at the Hawaiian Electric website and mobile app (available on Apple App and Google Play stores) or on its social media accounts.

If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and dangerous. Stay at least 30 feet away. Warn others to stay away. For emergency assistance Call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance. Otherwise, to report a downed power line, call the Hawaiian Electric Trouble Line for each county or island, call 1-855-304-9191. 

Customers also can sign up to receive emergency outage alerts from Hawaiian Electric.

Public Shelters

All shelters are closed in Hawaiʻi County, with the exception of the following two that are open Sunday night for residents that were severely impacted by Hurricane Lala.

• Robert N. Herkes Gym, 96-1219 Kamani St., Pāhala.
• Nāʻālehu Elementary School gym, 95-5545 Māmalahoa Highway, Nāʻālehu.

Bus service

• With the exception of Paratransit Transportation Services, all Hele-On bus routes will remain cancelled Monday.

To report damage or need help?

If you sustained damage or, if you and your household are in need of help, as a result of Hurricane Lala, Civil Defense has a damage report and a Request for Assistance reporting portal on the County of Hawaii website or call Civil Defense at 808-935-0031

Click here to make a Residential Damage Report 

Click here to make a Commercial Damage Report

Residents in need of immediate assistance — such as food, clothing, debris removal, or shelter — from a coalition of nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies can complete a request for assistance form.

Click here to request other assistance

Transfer stations and landfills

County transfer stations and landfills that are normally scheduled to be open on Monday will be open, except for transfer stations in Pāhala, Wai‘ōhinu and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, which are inaccessible.

To assist cleanup efforts, transfer stations in Waimea, Kealakehe and Keauhou will accept green waste daily this week.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park closures

Most of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has limited services and remains closed due to a lack of power. The Welcome Center and Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store will be closed Monday; however, park rangers and volunteers will provide visitor information in the Kilauea Military Camp lobby.

• Mauna Loa summit, Red Hill and Mauna Loa Road past Kīpukapuaulu are closed. Kīpukapuaulu also remains closed because of hazard trees.
• Crater Rim Drive West from the park entrance to Uēkahuna at the summit of Kīlauea volcano has reopened.
• The Welcome Center and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store, Kahuku Unit, all trails and Nāhuku lava tube, tent camping at Nāmakanipaio campgroun, all backcountry sites including the coast and Pepeiao, Chain of Craters Road and the Crater Rim Drive East are closed. Visitors should check the park website for alerts, www.nps.gov/havo.  
• These areas are still open for registered guests only: Kīlauea Military Camp, Volcano House and the A-frame cabins at Nāmakanipaio. Lodging guests must shelter in place.

County closures and facility impacts

• All County Park & Recreational facilities and beach parks will be closed and all facility usage permits for Monday are cancelled.
• All County offices are closed Monday.

State closures

• Courts and judiciary offices statewide will be closed Monday. All hearings and trials scheduled for Monday will be rescheduled. In addition, by court order, the deadline for all court filings due Monday has been extended until Tuesday. Visit the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary website for updates and information.
• The Hawaiʻi State Capitol will be closed on Monday.
• The Hawaiʻi State Senate and House of Representatives offices, Legislative Reference Bureau, including the Public Access Room and LRB Library, and other legislative services will be closed to the public on Monday.

Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources — out of an abundance of caution as Tropical Storm Lala continues its approach toward the state — on Friday announced the following closures of camping, parks, lands and trails:

Statewide

• All camping and lodging in state parks and on state lands is suspended as of 7 p.m. Friday — and at least through the weekend. Notifications were sent to everyone who received a camping permit.
• Refunds will be credited to the accounts of anyone who misses camping nights because of storm closures.

Hawaiʻi Island

• All state parks on Hawaiʻi Island are closed Monday.
• Hawaiʻi Island forestry and wildlife lands are closed Monday.

People are advised to avoid forested and coastal areas because of the dangers of rising streams, flash flooding, falling trees, storm surge and high surf.

Online resources:

• Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency: https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/.
• Emergency Management Agency contacts: https://waihalana.hawaii.gov/ema-contacts/.
• More weather information: https://www.weather.gov/hfo.
• Storm-related park closure updates: Hawaiʻi State Parks web page.

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College were still determining on Sunday night whether they would open Monday.

For University of Hawai‘i at Hilo residential students, the on-campus residence halls remain open, and Residence Life staff members are actively present to assist on-campus students through the duration of the storm. The residence halls are relatively empty because students don’t begin moving in until next week.

Road closures

For an updated list of road closures, visit the County of Hawaii Hazard Map: Hazard Impact Map.

Hawaiʻi Visitor Information

Hotels are open and continue to welcome guests. Travelers scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks should keep their travel plans and check directly with their hotels or other accommodations for emergency procedures or instructions, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority said in a state news release.

Direct visitor messaging, including active weather alerts and island-by-island conditions and closures, will continue through GoHawaiʻi social media channels, the GoHawaiʻi website alert banner and dedicated landing page, the GoHawaiʻi app through push and in-app alerts, and the 1-800-GOHAWAII call center. Visit gohawaii.com/lala or call 1-800-GOHAWAII, available 24 hours a day to answer any questions. 

Visitors’ Guide to Hawai‘i News, Radio, and Weather: This updated visitor guide lists local news and official information sources so visitors can stay informed and adjust their plans as needed. Please share the guide with guests, clients and customer-facing employees. The latest version is available at hta.hawaii.gov.