🌀 Hurricane Lala Hawaii: Damage, Recovery and How to Prepare for the 2026 Season

by L. Mendoza

Hawaii is barely a week past one hurricane — and forecasters say more are coming. Hurricane Lala tore roofs off houses, washed out bridges, swept homes from their foundations and plunged more than 200,000 people into darkness across the islands. Now, with one of the strongest El Niño cycles on record expected, NOAA is warning that this season could bring up to 13 tropical cyclones to the Central Pacific through November.

Here is the verified picture of what happened, what it cost, and — most importantly — how you can prepare for what forecasters say is still to come.

What Exactly Happened When Hurricane Lala Hit Hawaii?

Lala, the first major hurricane of 2026 in the Central Pacific, passed about 30 miles south of Hawaii's Big Island as a Category 1 hurricane on August 15-16, 2026, then moved south of the smaller islands as a strong tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center and the U.S. Central Pacific Hurricane Center. While the storm's center stayed offshore, intense rainfall rates of 4 to 5 inches per hour triggered catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides.

The hardest-hit area was the Kaʻū District on the southern Big Island, where at least six bridges were damaged or destroyed and more than 100 homes were damaged, according to county officials. Route 11 was washed out, and the highest total rainfall recorded was 43.54 inches on the northeast coast of the Big Island. Two deaths were blamed on the storm, including a 93-year-old former teacher found dead after floodwaters swept through her town.

How Severe Was the Power and Infrastructure Damage?

At the storm's peak, more than 200,000 homes and businesses lost power across the state, according to Hawaiian Electric and the Associated Press. On the Big Island alone, about 58,000 customers lost electricity, many of them in rural, hard-to-reach areas; roughly 13,200 customers on the Big Island remained without power nearly a week later, and Hawaiian Electric said some rural areas could face outages lasting at least two more weeks — and in isolated Puna communities, potentially weeks to months.

Sixteen transmission lines went down on Hawaii Island, and nine on Oahu. State officials warned that saturated ground from Lala's rains created faster runoff and erosion risks for any new storm, making travel and emergency access still harder. A second system, Tropical Storm Moke, tracked just south of the Big Island days later, and Hawaii civil defense urged residents to prepare as though further impacts were likely.

How Does Hurricane Lala Fit Into the 2026 Hurricane Season Outlook?

NOAA's official outlook, released in May, predicted a 70% chance of an above-normal Central Pacific hurricane season, with 5 to 13 tropical cyclones (a near-normal season has only 4 or 5). The season runs June 1 through November 30. The primary driver is El Niño — NOAA's Climate Prediction Center expects a moderate or stronger El Niño, with forecasters now putting a 90% chance it stays "very strong" into December and a 69% chance it becomes the strongest cycle on record since 1950.

Through late August the Central Pacific had already produced three cyclones: Hurricane Fausto, Hurricane Lala and Tropical Storm Moke. NOAA lead seasonal forecaster Matthew Rosencrans told media the basin can now expect at least 8 to 10 named storms by season's end, and Hawaii's state climatologist Pao-Shin Chu estimates seven to 13. Back-to-back cyclones this early is rare even for an El Niño year, and officials warn the season's peak could extend beyond the usual July-to-September window.

What Should Hawaii Residents Do to Prepare for the Rest of the Season?

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) and National Weather Service forecasters are urging residents to prepare now rather than wait for the next storm. Officials recommend stocking a 14-day supply of drinking water, nonperishable food, medications, infant supplies, pet needs, batteries, flashlights and cash. Keep phones charged, have backup batteries and medical-device power supplies, prepare a go bag with identification and important documents, and secure loose outdoor items that could become projectiles in gusty winds.

Load-bearing advice from officials: decide your evacuation plan in advance, identify a retrofitted home or public shelter, and monitor official sources — the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (cphc.noaa.gov), the National Weather Service Honolulu office, and county civil defense agencies. Gov. Josh Green emphasized that "our geography makes preparedness even more important because we are the most isolated populated land mass on the planet." With the season expected to extend and intensify, preparation is no longer optional.

What Is the Recovery and Federal Assistance Situation Right Now?

President Donald Trump approved a federal disaster declaration for Hawaii County on August 25, 2026, making the Big Island eligible for federal assistance to clean up and rebuild after Lala's destruction, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The state has set aside $100 million for storm recovery, and Gov. Josh Green initially estimated total damage in the hundreds of millions of dollars before the more precise $81.4 million direct infrastructure figure was compiled.

The $81.4 million figure covers only direct state infrastructure damage — it does not include the broader economic picture. AccuWeather estimates Lala caused $3 billion to $5 billion in total damage and economic losses across Hawaii, including property damage, business interruptions, supply-chain effects, flight delays, emergency costs and tourism losses. Residents still facing outages should prepare as though restoration could be delayed again, preserve battery power for medical and emergency needs, and submit claims through official channels.

Where Should You Get Official, Real-Time Storm Information?

The two most authoritative sources are the U.S. Central Pacific Hurricane Center (cphc.noaa.gov) and the National Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov), both operated by NOAA's National Weather Service. These agencies publish official advisories, watches and warnings, track forecasts and storm surge data that county officials and media rely on.

For local preparedness, follow Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (dod.hawaii.gov/hiema), county civil defense agencies and Hawaiian Electric (for outage restoration updates). Ready.gov is NOAA's recommended general preparedness resource. Relying on these official channels — rather than social media — ensures you act on verified information during an actively evolving storm situation.

Verified Official Sources

• Source: U.S. Central Pacific Hurricane Center
• Source: National Hurricane Center
• Source: NOAA - 2026 Central Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook
• Source: Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
• Source: Associated Press - Weather Coverage

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