HILO, Sept. 2 — The hum of chainsaws and the whir of utility helicopters are replacing the roar of floodwater across Hawaiʻi Island, where recovery from Tropical Cyclone Lala is now a full-scale military-logistics operation. The storm struck last month, damaging approximately 690 homes and structures statewide. Many of those properties belonged to residents who were still rebuilding from the March Kona Low storms and a 6.0-magnitude earthquake.
The state escaped further harm when Tropical Storm Moke passed farther away, delivering only additional rainfall. Governor Josh Green, Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda and Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Logan completed damage assessments on the island.
Green had signed an emergency proclamation ahead of the storms to position state resources, and he secured a presidential disaster declaration to support recovery in Kaʻū and address impacts at Nāʻālehu Cemetery. Power restoration is a top priority. Operation TREK808, launched by Green and Logan, pulled together the Pacific Air Forces, the Hawaiʻi National Guard, Southern California Edison and Hawaiian Electric.
Two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft ferried 143,790 pounds of critical utility equipment and vehicles from California to Hilo. At the peak of the response, more than 240 National Guard personnel were clearing debris, conducting search-and-rescue operations, extracting and identifying remains, performing wellness checks and running rapid damage assessments.
The Guard has concluded its efforts on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi but continues supporting Maui and Hawaiʻi Island. The scene on Hawaiʻi Island is layered with complications. Floodwaters uncovered human remains and iwi, which require specialized care and cultural sensitivity for proper identification and return.
The Department of Health has opened mental health clinics across the island and is monitoring infectious disease threats. Its Parent Line program is replacing essential baby items — car seats, breast pumps and cribs. The Department of Human Services is assisting with temporary housing and SNAP replacement benefits, though residents must submit statements to any DHS Processing Center statewide except the Kaʻū–Nāʻālehu and Kohala offices, which remain closed.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources warns of lingering hazards: flooding, rockfalls, landslides and unstable vegetation. The Department of Taxation is waiving penalties from August 20, 2026, to October 20, 2026, for impacted residents.
Schools are coming back online. The Department of Education distributed free boxes of nonperishable meals — five breakfasts and five lunches meeting school nutritional standards — for children 18 and under in Pāhala, Nāʻālehu and Ocean View. Classes at Kaʻū High School and Pāhala Elementary School were set to resume Monday, August 31, while the Department of Accounting and General Services works to restore facilities at those campuses and Nāʻālehu Elementary.
The state is not letting its guard down. The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the Agricultural Development Corporation monitored Wahiawā Reservoir, installing an AquaDam to increase spillway capacity by 1.5 to 2 feet and conducting controlled releases of 85 million gallons daily before Moke arrived.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation cleared Kaʻalaea, Kaukonahua, Waiawa and Waiāhole Streams as of late August. With a super El Niño hurricane season still unfolding, officials are preparing for more storms. Residents can call United Way at 211 or visit ready.hawaii.gov for assistance.
