About 690 homes and structures took damage when Tropical Cyclone Lala hit Hawaiʻi last month, and many of them belonged to people still recovering from the March Kona Low storms and the 6.0-magnitude earthquake. Tropical Storm Moke passed farther away and brought only extra rain.
Gov. Josh Green signed an emergency proclamation before the storms to line up state resources and let the National Guard move fast. He later asked for a presidential disaster declaration and got one, covering recovery in Kaʻū and damage at Nāʻālehu Cemetery.
Getting the power back
Green and Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan launched Operation TREK808 to speed up grid repairs on Hawaiʻi Island. It brought in the Pacific Air Forces, the Hawaiʻi National Guard, Southern California Edison and Hawaiian Electric. Two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft flew 143,790 pounds of utility equipment and vehicles from California to Hilo.
At the peak, more than 240 Guard members were on the job. They cleared debris, searched for survivors, recovered and identified remains, checked on residents and ran rapid damage assessments. The Guard has finished on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi but is still supporting Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.
Floodwaters also uncovered human remains and iwi, or bones. Those need specialized care and cultural sensitivity so they can be identified and returned properly.
Help for families
The Department of Health opened mental health clinics across the island and is watching for infectious disease. The Parent Line, funded by the department, is replacing car seats, breast pumps and cribs lost in the storm.
The Department of Human Services is helping with temporary housing and SNAP replacement benefits. Residents can submit statements at any DHS Processing Center statewide, except the Kaʻū–Nāʻālehu and Kohala offices, which are still closed. The Department of Taxation is waiving penalties from August 20, 2026, to October 20, 2026, for affected residents.
The Department of Education is handing out free boxes of nonperishable food in Pāhala, Nāʻālehu and Ocean View. Each holds five breakfasts and five lunches that meet school nutrition standards, free for anyone 18 and under. Classes at Kaʻū High School and Pāhala Elementary were due to resume Monday, August 31. Accounting and General Services is working with the department to repair those campuses and Naʻālehu Elementary.
Water and weather
Before Moke arrived, the state monitored Wahiawā Reservoir. Crews installed an AquaDam that adds 1.5 to 2 feet of spillway capacity and made controlled releases of 85 million gallons a day to lower the water level.
The Department of Transportation had cleared Kaʻalaea, Kaukonahua, Waiawa and Waiāhole Streams by late August. The Department of Land and Natural Resources warned that flooding, rockfalls, landslides and unstable vegetation remain hazards.
With a super El Niño hurricane season under way, the state is preparing for more storms. Residents who need help can call United Way at 211 or go to ready.hawaii.gov.
