What you need to know about Hurricane Lala recovery: Hawaiʻi County non-emergency operations resume, offices reopen Wednesday
About 24,000 customers still were without power as of 7 p.m. Tuesday but the company expects 95% to be online by Friday.
8 hours ago
Updated 4:19 a.m. Aug. 19.
Efforts continue on the Big Island to cleanup and recover from Hurricane Lala that struck Saturday into Sunday, and left lots of damage and debris in its wake.
Here is what you need to know on the Big Island.
Updates from Hawaiʻi County and state
Hawaiʻi County non-emergency operations will resume and offices will reopen Wednesday.
Public Safety
Fire, police and National Guard personnel continue to conduct welfare and accountability checks in affected areas. This will continue until everyone is accounted for.
Infrastructure
Hawaiian Electric and State Highways along with county departments of Public Works and Water Supply continue emergency repairs and debris removal.
Water has been restored to Pāhala; as a precaution, residents are asked to boil water before use.
A task force is using all available resources to take care of the remains from Waiʻōhinu and Nāʻālehu cemeteries. All cultural protocols will be observed during this process.
County water service
Hawai’i County Department of Water Supply continues to work closely with Hawaiian Electric to restore normal power to water facilities in Kalapana, Pāpaʻikou, Paʻauilo, Honokaʻa, Hāwī, Makapala, Kaloko Mauka and Pāhala.
Until power can be fully restored, the department asks customers in those areas to use water for essential uses: drinking, cooking or personal hygiene only.
Potable water tankers or temporary spigots are available for customers at the following locations:
- Kalapana: Near intersection of Chain of Craters Road and ʻĀhia Road.
- Pāpaʻikou: Spigots located mauka/Hāmākua side of Highway 19, across from Kimura General Store.
- Kaloko Mauka: Spigots located at Kaloko Mauka tank No. 2 below Hao Street.
- Nāʻālehu: Parking area across from Ace Hardware.
Limit usage to essential potable needs only.
A map of permanent water spigots can be found at the Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply website under the “Community” drop down menu.
Call 808-961-8790 for emergencies.
Damage assessments
Initial damage assessments began Tuesday and will continue Wednesday. You can submit a damage report at the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense website or by calling Civil Defense at 935-0031.
Visit the Hawai‘i County Hazard Impact Map for additional information.
Other updates
- An emergency shelter at Nāʻālehu Elementary School gym remains open.
- Numerous county parks and facilities continue to be affected by power outages and storm damage. As a result, some will remain closed as of Wednesday and possibly longer. Click here for park closure information.
- Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens as well as Hilo Municipal Golf Course will be open Wednesday for normal operations.
- All Hele-on bus routes, except Routes 10, 12 and 90, resumed Tuesday.
- County transfer stations and landfills have reopened. Pāhala transfer station will reopen Wednesday. Waiʻōhinu transfer station will reopen following completion of cleanup.
- The community informational meeting scheduled for Aug. 20 about the planned closures of large capacity cesspools in Pāhala and Nāʻālehu is postponed because of the effects of Hurricane Lala. A new meeting date will be announced at a later date.
Update from the state
Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green’s office announced Tuesday afternoon that state and county offices statewide are expected to reopen Wednesday and resume normal operations, except in Ka‘ū.
Families, students and employees should monitor the Hawai‘i Department of Education website and social media channels for the latest information regarding individual school closures and reopening plans.
Essential employees should report as scheduled Wednesday unless otherwise directed. Departments are instructed to consider allowing telework, where practical if roads are impassable and an employee can perform their duties remotely.
Preparedness and recovery information is available online.
Police events postponed
The Kona Community Policing Section postponed Coffee With a Cop events scheduled this week in West Hawai‘i as officers focus efforts on Hurricane Lala recovery operations and the department’s “Fill a Cruiser” Kōkua events.
The events — Aug. 19 at Caffé Florian in Kealakekua and Aug. 20 at Kona Coffee & Tea in the Kona Coast Shopping Center in Kailua-Kona — will be rescheduled for later dates.
Hawaiian Electric
As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, about 24,000 customers on the Big Island remained without power. Most outages are in the Puna, North and South Kona, North and South Kohala, Hāmākua, North and South Hilo and Kaʻū areas.
Damage assessments were completed in accessible areas of Puna and Hāmākua. More than half of the 21 transmission lines damaged by the storm around the island have been repaired.
Hāmākua Energy, the island’s largest independent power producer, was reconnected to the grid. Employees from SoCal Edison began arriving in Hilo to assist with restoration efforts.
Hawaiian Electric expects 95% of all customers throughout the state impacted by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lala should be restored by Friday.
Assistance from mainland utilities started to arrive Tuesday. Hawaiian Electric dispatched 37 teams of engineers Tuesday on Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu to assess damage and develop plans to rebuild infrastructure badly damaged by the storm and restore resilience to our grids.
Helicopters and drones also were still being deployed Tuesday on Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu and Maui to assist with ongoing damage assessments in remote areas with rugged terrain.
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. Call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.
Customers also can sign up to receive emergency outage alerts.
Public schools
All public on the Big Island reopened Wednesday, except Nāʻālehu Elementary, Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary, which will be closed through at least Thursday as assessments continue.
A small number of campuses on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island are without power but are able to safely operate, the state Department of Education said.
The Department of Education has received 81 work order on Hawai‘i Island and 175 across all other islands.
Reports range from downed trees and damaged roofs to water intrusion, electrical issues and other facility impacts.
Updates are being posted online .
Public libraries
The following Big Island public libraries remain closed: Laupāhoehoe, Nāʻālehu and Pāhala.
Patrons are encouraged to check the schedule at their local library and the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System website regularly for the latest updates.
All of the state’s public libraries also will be closed Aug. 21 in observance of Statehood Day.
Courts
Courts and Judiciary facilities in 3rd Circuit Court on Hawaiʻi Island will reopen Aug. 19, following closures Monday and Tuesday because of Hurricane Lala.
Brown water advisory
A statewide brown water advisory remains in effect, as waters around the islands could contain higher than normal pollutant levels because of heavy rainfall during Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lala.
State health officials advise the public to avoid swimming, wading in or drinking water from any freshwater streams or ponds to prevent leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by the leptospira bacteria.
Hawaiʻi Department of Health also recommends staying out of affected waters for 48 to 72 hours after the rain stopped and the beach received full sunshine. Remember: If the water is brown, turn around.
For more information and updates, click here.
Spectrum services
Spectrum is assessing damage to its network from Hurricane Lala. Service interruptions are largely aligned with power outages impacting the area.
Power needs to be restored first before the company will be able to start making repairs. Spectrum already started to make necessary repairs wherever access is available, and it is safe for employees.
Nearly 3,000 Spectrum Wi-Fi access points are open throughout the state to help community members stay connected. Some access points could be offline until power is restored. Click here to learn more about the access points and get additional information.
To report damage or if you 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
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 are open, except those in Pāhala, Wai‘ōhinu and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, which are inaccessible.
To assist cleanup efforts, transfer stations in Waimea, Kealakehe and Keauhou are accepting green waste daily this week.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park closures
Crater Rim Drive West, from the park entrance to Uēkahuna at the summit of Kīlauea volcano, was reopened earlier this week. Restrooms at Uēkahuna are not working.
The Welcome Center and Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association are open, but with limited hours.
Visitors should expect very limited services. The park still has no power, phones or internet.
Crater Rim Trail West and Steam Vents are open, but Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and all other areas in the park remain closed because of downed trees and other hazards. Park rangers and staff are continuing to assess trails, roads and other park destinations that will reopen when deemed safe.
Visitors are advised to take their safety seriously. Stay alert, heed all closures and posted warnings and do not enter areas that appear unsafe.
Park campgrounds and the backcountry remain closed. Volcano Art Center Gallery is closed.
Kīlauea Military Camp is offering limited services to authorized patrons. Volcano House is closed to the public, but open to registered guests.
Check the park website, www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes and official social media for additional updates.
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 Chancellor Bonnie Irwin announced early Tuesday evening that the campus looks forward to welcoming everyone back Wednesday as University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will reopen.
New student check-in and orientation also will take place as scheduled.
No official word was available about Hawaiʻi Community College campuses; however, there were reports on the internet saying they also would reopen Wednesday.
Staff and students should continue to monitor their University of Hawaiʻi email and UH RAVE alerts for updates.
Road closures
For an updated list of road closures, visit the Hawaiʻi County Hazard Map: Hazard Impact Map.
Banks
All Bank of Hawai‘i Big Island branches reopened except the Kā‘u Branch.
