Hawai‘i County Launches Ka‘ū Recovery After 70-mph Hurricane Lala Cuts Off Towns
Updated
Updated · Big Island Now · Aug 16
Hawai‘i County Launches Ka‘ū Recovery After 70-mph Hurricane Lala Cuts Off Towns
3 articles · Updated · Big Island Now · Aug 16
Summary
Ka‘ū communities were left isolated after Hurricane Lala skirted South Point on Saturday, with Pāhala cut off Sunday morning and Green Sands Beach Subdivision stranded by washed-out roads.
70-mph winds and heavy rain turned small streams into raging rivers, sweeping homes off foundations, flooding Nā‘ālehu Elementary School and inundating businesses including Punalu‘u Bakery.
Highway 11 and South Point Road were blocked by downed power lines, debris and mud, while residents in Nā‘ālehu and Wai‘ohinu reported no cell service and widespread power outages.
Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda said a joint agency operation is working islandwide to restore access, with the county set to give a noon press conference update on recovery efforts.
Nā‘ālehu Elementary will stay closed through Aug. 20, underscoring how Lala — despite not making a direct Big Island landfall — still delivered severe damage to the hardest-hit Ka‘ū towns.