(BIVN) – Hurricane Lala continues to inflict “unprecedented impact and damage to Hawaii Island”, emergency officials say, as wind and rain from the storm continued into Saturday night.
As of 8 p.m., Lala was 55 miles west of South Point, and moving northwest at 10 mph. A Hurricane Warning remains in place for Hawaiʻi island, and impacts are expected to continue at least through Sunday morning.
“Department of Public Works, State Highways, and HECO report a record number of widespread road closures and prolonged power outages,” a Hawai’i County Civil Defense message stated at 5 p.m. “Conditions have degraded to a point that concern for the safety of our road and power personnel has resulted in crews being asked to fallback until conditions improve.”
As of 7 p.m., thousands were without power on Hawaiʻi island and would be in the dark through the night. “For the safety of crews and the public, restoration work has to halt when the weather gets too dangerous,” the Hawaiian Electric Company stated. “On Hawaiʻi Island, hazardous conditions on the roadways such as flooding and downed trees have also prompted the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency to ask crews to stay off the roads.” According to the power company:
63,270 customers, including all of the east side and south sides of the island plus Waimea and Honokaʻa, are without power. Wind gusts near 90 mph have been recorded in some areas as the storm stalled over the island. On the Hāmākua coast, wind-toppled trees knocked down multiple poles and structures along a 42-mile span of transmission lines, which will take time to inspect and repair once the weather improves.
Earlier in the day, Hawaiian Electric announced four of its independent power providers were disconnected from the electrical grid on Hawaiʻi Island due to damage from the ongoing storm. Hawaiian Electric said it may need to “load shed”, or temporarily turn off power to customers to maintain system stability and prevent damage to generating units.
“Two of Hawaiʻi Island’s largest independent power producers, Puna Geothermal Venture and Hāmākua Energy Partners, as well as wind energy providers Hāwī Renewable Development and Pakini Nui, are also unable to connect to the island’s grid,” the utility said.
An emergency action was activated on a Waimea-area dam on Saturday. The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency’s Joint Information Center reported:
DLNR Flood Risk Management Section reports that Puukapu Watershed Retarding R-1 Dam (HA-43), located on Hawai‘i Island, activated its “non-failure” emergency action plan. The dam is functioning as designed to discharge water via several injection wells on both sides of the dam that crosses Mana Road in Waimea. The dam reservoir protects Kuhio Village and Waimea homes and farmlands in Waimea town below Māmalahoa Highway. It is being monitored by the Hawaiʻi County Department of Public Works, which operates and maintains the dam.
The list of Hawaiʻi island road closures as of 5 p.m. on Saturday:
- Highway 19: closed at mile marker 53.7
- Highway 250: closed between mile markers 2.5 and 21.5.
- Highway 11: closed between mile markers 57 and 62.
- Highway 11: closed between mile markers 65 and 66.
- Highway 270: closed at mile markers 2 and 5.
- Highway 11: closed at mile markers 54 and 65.
- Highway 11: single-lane closure between mile markers 67 and 69.
- Highway 19: single-lane closure Hilo Bayfront.
- Kalapana-Kapoho Beach Road: closed at mile marker 14.
- Kamehameha Avenue between Ponahawai Street and Manono Street.
- Government Beach Road from Hawaiians Shores to Waa Waa Road (residents only).
- Haao Springs Road.
- North Kulani Road
- Laupahoehoe Road (one lane open).
- Kaʻalaiki Road (Cane Haul Road).
- Mud Lane
- East Kawailani Street between Hoonani Place and Kamalii Street.
County Facility & Bus Service Update
- All parks and park facilities are closed on Sunday, Aug. 16.
- The County of Hawaiʻi’s Solid Waste Transfer Stations will remain closed on Sunday, Aug. 16 due to impacts from Hurricane Lala, including downed trees and debris.
- All fixed route Hele-On buses and Paratransit services are cancelled for Sunday, Aug. 16.
Shelters
The County has opened shelters at the locations below. Bring your own supplies, including food, water, sleeping bags, and any necessary medicine. Shelters are pet friendly. Pets must be kept in a carrier.
- Ikuo Hisaoka Gymnasium, 54-382 Kamehameha Park Road, Kapaʻau.
- Waikoloa Elementary School cafeteria, 68-1730 Hoʻoko St., Waikoloa.
- Kahilu Town Hall, 67-1182 Lindsey Road, Waimea
- Honokaʻa Gym, 45-541 Lehua St., Honokaʻa.
- Laupāhoehoe Public Charter School Band Room, 35-2605 Mamalahoa Highway, Laupāhoehoe.
- Waiākea High School Gym, 155 W. Kawili St., Hilo
- Keaʻau Armory, 16-512 Volcano Road, Keaʻau.
- Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility, 15-2910 Kauhale St., Pāhoa.
- Robert N. Herkes Gym, 96-1219 Kamani St., Pāhala.
- Nāʻālehu Elementary School gym, 95-5545 Mamalahoa Highway, Nāʻālehu.
- Kealakehe High School Gym, 74-5000 Puohulihuli St., Kailua-Kona.
- Yano Hall, 82-6156 Māmalahoa Highway, Captain Cook.
