Hawaii Begins Cleanup After Tropical Storm Lala Leaves One Dead

Recovery efforts are underway across Hawaii after the remnants of Tropical Storm Lala battered the islands over the weekend, leaving thousands without power and claiming one life.

Crews on the Big Island are focused on clearing roads and restoring access to communities that were cut off by floodwaters. Hawaiian Electric reports significant damage to its infrastructure, particularly in remote areas, and teams worked through the night to bring electricity back to customers on the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu.

In Maui's upcountry region, numerous large trees fell, bringing down power lines and damaging other equipment. County officials say debris removal is a priority.

The storm, which weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm, has now moved west. The National Weather Service expects it to eventually turn north toward the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a vast and remote protected area in the Pacific.

Officials confirmed one fatality: a 90-year-old woman who was reported missing in Naalehu was found dead on Monday. In the hard-hit southern part of the Big Island, some communities were temporarily isolated due to communication outages. Floodwaters also disturbed several grave sites.

While water service has been restored to customers in Pāhala, a boil water notice has been issued as a precaution. Hawaii County's non-emergency operations remain suspended, though most public schools across the state have reopened.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda acknowledged the hardship but praised the community's resilience, noting that roads are being cleared and debris is being removed. Governor Josh Green said the damage was not as catastrophic as initially feared and expects the recovery to be relatively quick.