Tropical Storm Lala: District-by-District Recovery Resources

Scroll Directly To: Hawaii | Maui | Honolulu/Oahu | Kauai

Updated August 17, 2026

Statewide Summary

Although Lala briefly strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane as it passed Hawaiʻi Island, it is now moving away from the state as a tropical storm. All tropical-storm warnings and flood watches have been lifted, but brown-water advisories remain statewide, and downed lines, unstable trees, damaged roads and contaminated floodwater continue to pose hazards.

Many temple services and activities were canceled or postponed (see our earlier advisory).

Resources

• Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency’s Tropical Storm Lala updates
  A central source for county emergency pages, shelters, road information, power-outage maps and health guidance.
• Hawaiʻi Foodbank’s statewide emergency food-assistance resource page
  Links directly to Oʻahu and Kauaʻi assistance and to Maui Food Bank and The Food Basket for the neighbor islands.

Hawaiʻi District

Hawaiʻi Island sustained the most severe damage, with particularly serious flooding in Kaʻū around Pāhala, Waiʻōhinu and Nāʻālehu. Floodwaters damaged or swept away roughly 100 homes, and six bridges in southern Kaʻū were reported destroyed or severely damaged; Pāhala was temporarily isolated, complicating access to Kaʻū Hospital. Power and communications damage is extensive, and restoration in some rural areas may take considerably longer than in population centers.

Vibrant Hawaiʻi is using Nāʻālehu Hongwanji, 95-5695 Hawaiʻi Belt Road, as a Lala recovery distribution site; Pāhala Community Center is another distribution point. Vibrant Hawaiʻi is coordinating household requests for food, water, tarps, cleanup and other recovery needs and has a dedicated Lala resource page and assistance-request form.

Resources

• Vibrant Hawaiʻi Lala resources
  Includes access to a form for making a recovery-assistance request.
• The Food Basket — find food by district, including Kaʻū
  The Food Basket also opened its Hilo and Kona warehouses for emergency food distribution on August 17 through 3 p.m; continue checking its channels for subsequent emergency distributions.
• Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense / emergency information
• SNAP replacement information and application via Vibrant Hawaiʻi.

See also updates and resources posted by Puna Hongwanji on its Facebook page.

Maui District

Maui experienced hurricane-force gusts even though Lala’s center remained south of the island — including reported gusts of 85 mph at Olowalu and 82 mph at Ukumehame — along with heavy rain and flooding. Upcountry Maui was especially affected by large fallen trees, damaged power lines and infrastructure; thousands remained without electricity Monday in Kula, Hāʻikū, Olinda and Piʻiholo and portions of West, Central and South Maui. A water outage affected parts of Olinda/Piʻiholo, and West Maui residents were being asked to conserve water. The County opened the Eddie Tam Memorial Center in Makawao as a charging/Wi-Fi station and shelter. Lānaʻi experienced high winds and lingering flood concerns; its landfill was closed because of unsafe winds and was expected to reopen August 18, but detailed reports of major structural damage on Lānaʻi have been limited.

Resources

• Maui County home page and Maui Emergency Management Agency
• Maui Recovers — report private-property damage
• Maui Food Bank food-distribution locations
  Maui Food Bank serves Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi, including rural communities.

Honolulu and Oʻahu Districts

Lala brought widespread wind and rain damage across Oʻahu, with fallen trees and branches, damaged roofs, flooding, downed power lines and numerous road closures. West Oʻahu was among the areas hit particularly hard by wind, with mature trees uprooted and homes damaged. At 4 p.m. Sunday, approximately 117,000 Hawaiian Electric customers on Oʻahu were without power; restoration continued overnight, but tens of thousands were still without service Monday morning. Cellular service was also intermittent in portions of Central Oʻahu and the North Shore. The Board of Water Supply has asked residents to conserve water while power is restored to pumping facilities.

Both Headquarters and Hawaii Betsuin experienced some water leaks/intrusions during the storm. As of Monday afternoon, 8/17, Internet and phone service was out pending work by the utility provider.

Resources

• Honolulu Department of Emergency Management
• Report storm damage to a residence
• Hawaiʻi Foodbank food-assistance finder
  Nearly 200 partner agencies and food programs are available on Oʻahu.
• City non-emergency storm information: 808-723-8960

Kauaʻi District

Kauaʻi received an estimated 10–15 inches of rain as Lala passed, producing flooding, fallen trees and road disruptions. Among the more significant problems reported Sunday were closures along Kūhiō Highway and other roads and a water outage affecting the Hāʻena-Wainiha area. The county kept a refuge area open at the Kauaʻi Veterans Center into Monday morning while crews assessed damage and utilities restored service. Brown-water conditions and post-storm ocean hazards remain concerns.

Resources

• Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency
  also includes the County’s Lala damage-reporting portal
• Hawaiʻi Foodbank food-assistance finder
  Hawaiʻi Foodbank has more than 30 partner agencies on Kauaʻi.
• Kauaʻi Department of Water: 808-245-5400
• KEMA: 808-241-1800