What you need to know about Hurricane Lala recovery: Nā‘ālehu Elementary, Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary remain closed
The state Education Department hopes to have plans finalized and shared by early next week for how to return to educational programming at both schools. Meanwhile, Hawaiian Electric expects nearly all impacted Big Island customers, except those in certain remote and severely damaged areas, to have their power back on by today.
Information will be updated regularly.
Relief efforts continue following destruction on the Big Island caused by Hurricane Lala.
Here is what you need to know Friday.
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Updates from Hawaiʻi County
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 Division along with county departments of Public Works and Water Supply continue emergency repairs and debris removal.
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
A precautionary boil water notice for tap water was issued Wednesday by Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply for its Waiʻōhinu-Nāʻālehu customers after the department began pumping its Nāʻālehu well with an emergency generator, with a very limited portion of waterlines to have water.
The precautionary boil water notice for Pāhala customers was canceled effective Thursday.
Testing of the Pāhala Water System was conducted, and laboratory water analysis confirms that no potential microbiological contaminants are present in the water system. The water meets all regulatory drinking quality requirements.
Therefore:
- Normal use of tap water can resume immediately.
- It is no longer necessary to boil tap water or use bottled water for drinking, cooking, making ice or brushing teeth.
- It also is recommended to flush building, residential taps, hose bibbs, water fountains and ice makers for a few minutes before first use.
Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply continues to work closely with Hawaiian Electric to restore normal power to impacted water facilities.
Customers in the areas still not restored continue to be asked to use water for essential uses only, including drinking, cooking or personal hygiene, until power can be fully restored.
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.
Potable water spigots in Ocean View also are back online and safe for domestic use.
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 808-961-8050 during normal business hours or email to dws@hawaiidws.org for general Department of Water Supply information. Call 808-961-8790 for after-hours emergencies.
Call the county’s Water Quality Assurance and Control Branch at 808-961-8670 for any water quality questions.
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.
9-1-1 for emergencies only
If you are in a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1. For all other storm-related needs, go online and fill out a request for assistance or call Civil Defense at 808-935-0031.
Donations
Anyone who wants to supply donations can text or call Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s donation line at 802-365-1808. Anyone who wants to make monetary donations can click here to visit the Hawaiʻi Island Strong Fund web page on the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation website. The fund was established to support Big Island relief efforts.
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.
- All Hele-on bus routes, except Routes 10, 12 and 90, resumed Tuesday.
- Pāhala transfer station reopened Wednesday. Waiʻōhinu transfer station will reopen following completion of cleanup.
County officials urge the public to continue avoiding any unnecessary travel into Kaʻū to help quicken emergency response.
Hawaiian Electric
Hawaiian Electric plans to restore power to almost all affected customers on Hawaiʻi Island by Friday. Currently, about 11,290 without power.
Hawaiian Electric crews Thursday continued stabilizing systems, repairing damage and safely restoring as many customers as possible throughout the utility’s service territories ahead of a potential new storm system approaching the state.
Except for customers in remote and severely damaged areas, Hawaiian Electric expects nearly all impacted customers on Hawai‘i Island to be restored by today. As of 8:30 a.m. Friday, more restorations were made on Hawaiʻi Island, with about 83% of impacted customers back online.
Although power was restored to many customers, work is still underway on electrical systems of each island.
Hawaiian Electric essentially restored power to all customers impacted by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lala on O‘ahu and Maui, 2 days earlier than its Friday target of restoring 95% of impacted customers.
Crews continue to work on small pocket outages and individual service lines on these islands.
About 80% of impacted Big Island customers as of 2:30 p.m. Thursday were restored, but about 13,000 remained without power.
Mutual assistance utility workers from California are on Hawai‘i Island, joining the more than 500 employees and contractors who have been working around the clock in the field and behind the scenes throughout the islands to repair equipment and restore power following the devastation caused by Lala.
Hawaiian Electric expects nearly all impacted customers on the Big Island to be restored by Friday, except those in certain remote and severely damaged areas.
Learn more about the extended outages in the company’s “Facts about the prolonged outages on Hawai‘i Island”. Restoration times are subject to change because of weather conditions or if additional work is required as repairs progress.
Hawaiian Electric continues to urge customers to review emergency plans, ensure they have supplies on hand and closely monitor weather updates as the new tropical cyclone continues its approach toward Hawai‘i.
Preparation and safety tips are available on the Hawaiian Electric website. Detailed tips also can be found in our Handbook for Emergency Preparedness.
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.
Misinformation about filing claims
There is a lot of misinformation circulating about filing a claim after a power outage.
Hawaiian Electric is not liable for losses “caused by accident, storm, fire, strikes, riots, war, public safety power shutoff or any cause not within the company’s control through the exercise of reasonable diligence and care.”
Losses not covered include, but are not limited to, food spoilage and medication that requires refrigeration, etc.
More information about filing damage claims can be found on the Hawaiian Electric website.
Public schools
Nā‘ālehu Elementary and Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary schools remain temporarily closed, and recovery and planning efforts continue after both experienced significant impacts from Hurricane Lala.
Hawai‘i Department of Education, Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa Complex Area and school leaders are developing plans to support continued learning while campus and community recovery efforts continue. Families and employees at both schools will receive additional information directly as plans are finalized.
The state Education Department hopes to have plans finalized and shared by early next week.
Department facilities and information technology personnel, Hawai‘i Department of Accounting and General Services personnel and contractors visited both campuses to conduct additional assessments and identify needs.
Nāʻālehu Elementary
- The campus sustained minor structural damage, while multiple classrooms were damaged by flooding and storm debris remains throughout.
- Electricity and water services remain out.
- State education officials continue assessing campus conditions and developing immediate and long-term plans for safely resuming learning.
Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary
- The school’s weight room and one elementary classroom sustained flood damage.
- Electricity service remains out, and safe access along Highway 11 continues to be of concern.
Aug. 21 is Statehood Day, which is a state holiday. All public schools and state Education Department offices statewide will be closed.
Updates are being posted online.
Public libraries
The following Big Island public libraries remain closed: Laupāhoehoe, Nāʻālehu and Pāhala.
All of the state’s public libraries also will be closed Aug. 21 in observance of Statehood Day.
Patrons are encouraged to check the schedule at their local library and the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System website regularly for the latest updates.
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.
Click here for 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.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park closures
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park remains without power, internet or phone service as the community — and many park employees, volunteers and partners — recover from the devastating impacts Hurricane Lala.
Emergency services in the park are limited and the park’s air quality monitoring system is down because of ongoing power and communications outages.
Check the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for alerts and connect with official park social media on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Visitors should expect very limited services. They also are advised to take their safety seriously. Stay alert, heed all closures and posted warnings and do not enter areas that appear unsafe.
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.
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 are open except the Kā‘u Branch.
