Crews work to restore power to thousands after Lala raked Hawaii

Crews were actively working to restore power to thousands of Hawaii residents on Tuesday, following the outer bands of Tropical Storm Lala that battered the archipelago over the weekend. The storm caused destructive flooding and resulted in the death of a 90-year-old woman in Naalehu. Lala initially made landfall as a hurricane but weakened to a tropical storm before the impact.

Most public schools across Hawaii reopened, but Hawaii County’s non-emergency operations remained suspended. Tourists, including California resident Sydney Ambrose and her family, experienced power outages while visiting Maui. Ambrose and her party were forced to use working power outlets in their hotel to charge their devices and cope with the lack of air conditioning.

Damage inspections revealed significant destruction, particularly in remote areas, with many large trees falling and toppling power lines and infrastructure. Maui County officials reported that roads were being cleared, debris cleaned up, and despite the pain, the people remained resilient. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda emphasized the strong spirit of the people amidst the challenges.

While water service was restored to customers in Pāhala, a boil water notice was issued as a precautionary measure. Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated that the damage was not as catastrophic as initially feared, promising a relatively swift recovery process.