Thousands remain without power in Maui County following Lala
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The effects of Tropical Storm Lala continued to be felt across Maui County on Monday after the powerful storm brought heavy rain and punishing winds to the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend.
On Saturday, Lala's wind gusts were measured at 85 mph in Olowalu and 82 mph in Ukumehame, and heavy rain caused flooding in East Maui and Upcountry.
As Tropical Storm Lala continues moving west of the main Hawaiian Islands, the flood watch for Maui County has expired. However, its impacts continue to be felt in many places across the county.
The Upcountry area was hit hard with many large downed trees that toppled power lines and damaged infrastructure. Thousands remain without power in areas of Kula, Haiku, Olinda and Piiholo, along with other parts of Maui County.
County officials said the Maui Emergency Management Agency and other county departments have conducted preliminary damage assessments via the air and ground. Residents and businesses are also being encouraged to report storm damage to private property through Crisis Track on mauirecovers.org.
The county said that submitting those reports helps to document the full extent of storm damage. Damage to public roads, infrastructure or county-managed areas should be reported through tinyurl.com/mauicountylala.
For help completing a damage assessment, people may call Maui Emergency Management Agency at (808) 270-7285.
SHELTERS
The shelter and charging station at Eddie Tam Memorial Center in Makawao will close at 8 p.m. Monday. It will reopen from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday solely as a charging station, or temporary service site, for powering devices and connecting to WiFi via Starlink.
Another shelter at the Hana High & Elementary School cafeteria closed at 11 a.m. Monday.
POWER OUTAGES
At 11 a.m. Monday, Hawaiian Electric reported that about 6,780 Maui customers were still without power.
In Upcountry, transmission work is in progress and damage assessments are ongoing, with many large downed trees needing to be cleared, as well repairs to damaged power lines and poles. Crews are also working on remaining spot outages in West Maui, Central and South Maui, East Maui, Molokai and Lanai.
The state Health Department warned that food may not be safe after a power outage -- even if it looks or smells normal. People are being advised to discard food that has come in contact with flood water and throw out any perishable food above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
The department said refrigerated food can last less than four hours without power. Frozen food typically lasts up to 24 hours in a half-full freezer or 48 hours in a full freezer if unopened. Frozen food that still contains ice crystals and never thawed doesn't require disposal.
CLOSURES, CANCELLATIONS
In addition to the Hawaii Department of Education cancelling school Monday, the storm has caused a number of other closures.
At the directive of Gov. Josh Green, all Maui County offices on Maui, Molokai and Lanai were closed Monday, Aug. 17, and only essential personnel were to report to work.
• For updates on County Department of Parks and Recreation parks and facilities impacted by Lala, people should go to mauicounty.gov/parks and scroll to "Tropical Storm Lala: Updates on Park and Facility Closures." Locations not on the list are open.
• The Molokai-Naiwa Landfill and Recycling Center and Lanai Landfill, which closed Saturday, are expected to reopen for regular hours at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18.
• East Maui Water Authority's 'Aha Wai O Maui Hikina Board meeting, set for Monday in Kula, has been cancelled.
• The office of the mayor's annual Holomua Kākou talk-story gathering and drop-in centers on Lanai slated for Monday and Tuesday has been cancelled and will be rescheduled.
Maui County offices and services are set to resume normal operations Tuesday.
WATER CONSERVATION ADVISORY
The Department of Water Supply is advising residents and visitors in West Maui to conserve water until power is fully restored.
Limiting nonessential water use will help maintain water service reliability as service is restored following storm-related power outages.
People can sign up for DWS News Flash notifications at mauicounty.gov/list.aspx.
WATER OUTAGE
Four DWS drinking water tanks are positioned at 1222 Olinda Road; one at Pi'iholo Road; two at Ehu Road; one at Alaluana Road; and one at Haleakala Acres on Crater Road.
DWS reported a water service outage in the Olinda/Pi'iholo areas of Upcountry as of 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
BROWN WATER ADVISORY
A statewide Brown Water Advisory remains in effect because of heavy rainfall and storm runoff. Residents should stay out of brown or discolored coastal waters and streams.
After storms or heavy rain, the water may contain higher than normal pollutant levels. The state Department of Health recommends staying out of these affected waters for 48-72 hours after the rain has stopped and after the beach has received full sunshine.
ROAD CLOSURES
For updates on County road closures, visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/roadclosures or download the Genasys Protect app at mauicounty.gov/MEMA.