Lala Recovery

Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation in late September initiated a process for family members to claim items displaced by flooding caused by Hurricane Lala.

It’s been two months since Hurricane Lala damaged a well site and infrastructure of Punaluʻu Water and Sanitation, leaving 100 customers without basic services.

Qualifying hosts can receive $500 per displaced person each month, up to a maximum of $2,000 per host household a month; this short-term assistance will be available as funding allows to help ease the financial burden on households providing a safe place for displaced friends and family.

The declarations provide Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance funding on a cost-sharing basis to supplement recovery efforts in the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi County and Maui County following Hurricane Lala in August, as well as Kauaʻi and Maui counties for impacts from Hurricane Lowell in September.

It’s been nearly 2 months since the school was extensively flooded and damaged by Hurricane Lala; now, with repairs complete and having to temporarily relocate to Ka‘ū District Gym in Pāhala, teachers and administration ‘cannot wait to be back at school.’

A proposed total of 12 homes, each with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, next to Nāʻālehu Public Library, would offer safe temporary housing for displaced residents as they work toward securing long-term housing options.

After Hurricane Lala left Kaʻū communities in disarray, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, with support from Direct Relief, has stepped up with mobile medical services, offering essential care to isolated residents.

Water restriction measures are necessary to maintain adequate water levels in storage tanks while the Department of Water Supply continues repairs to water infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Lala.

Hawaiʻi has suffered major damage from the Kona Low storms in May, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake in May, Hurricane Lala in August and Hurricane Lowell in September.

Some of the 1,200 customers in the system were cut off from water, others lost their water meters, and some had to boil their water for safety.

Lala destroyed 27 homes and did much damage to many other homes, with Hawaiʻi County estimating $53 million to its facilities and infrastructure.

Live corals already were documented washed ashore on Kauaʻi, while underwater assessments are being mobilized to determine the extent of reef damage and marine debris.

Through its Stronger Hawaiʻi Initiative, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation is funding Big Island nonprofits addressing disaster response and future resiliency efforts.

As all four major counties on Hawaiʻi recover from flooding and damages, leaders say coastal retreat, better access and backup power are needed, especially in rural areas.

The department continues assessment and recovery efforts following catastrophic rainfall and flooding caused by Hurricane Lala, which significantly damaged water system infrastructure in the Nā‘ālehu–Wai‘ōhinu area.

More than 75 volunteers during the 2-day donation drive to help Big Island communities impacted by Hurricane Lala collected more than 5,500 individual items, more than 5,000 pounds of nonperishable food and more.

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green reports Kauaʻi power, roads, airport and port infrastructure repairs and progress, also gives update about Hurricane Lala recovery on Big Island.

Hawaiian Electric are in the final stages of restoring electricity and the Department of Water Supply is working hard to restore water access to the final 3% of customers.

As an active hurricane season continues, The Salvation Army corps food pantries in Hilo, Honokaʻa, and Kona are urgently seeking monetary donations to address growing shortages.

According to the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union, Hurricane Lala has caused more than $3 million in reported losses across 79 types of farms.