Crews work to restore power to thousands after Lala raked Hawaii

Crews in Hawaii are working diligently to restore power to thousands of residents following the devastation caused by the outer bands of tropical storm Lala over the weekend. The storm brought destructive flooding, killing one person and damaging infrastructure across the archipelago. While most public schools have reopened, non-emergency operations in Hawaii County remain suspended.

Hawaiian Electric reported significant damage, particularly in remote areas, and crews are working around the clock to restore power in the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu. Maui County officials noted that many large trees fell, toppling power lines and causing infrastructure damage. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda expressed that while residents are hurting, they remain strong.

The storm took the life of a 90-year-old woman who had been missing and was found deceased on Monday. In the southern region of the Big Island, communities were isolated due to severed communication lines. Floodwaters disrupted some burial sites. Hawaii Governor Josh Green acknowledged that the damage was less severe than initially feared, predicting a relatively swift recovery.