Hurricane Lala hit the Big Island hard in August of 2026. Record flooding in Hilo, Ka’u, Naalehu and other towns has left communities hit hard. As the rain and wind subside and Hawai’i Island residents start to clean up and put their lives back together, there are some things to know and consider so that you can be respectful and even helpful during this time. Thank you for wanting to help those impacted by Hurricane Lala. Here’s what you can do while the island communities are recovering.
How to Help Following Hurricane Lala
The first thing to keep in mind following Hurricane Lala is that the Big Island of Hawai’i is first and foremost HOME to the Hawaiian People. Yes, this is a beautiful place, full of fun and adventure, but also it’s where thousands of Hawaiians are facing clean up and loss-of-home. During this period following Hurricane Lala, resources are going to be more difficult to come by supplies for repairs will take time getting to the island. Expect that the first steps will be for those impacted to help their families and friends, and then steps towards welcoming tourism again.
Yes, so much of the Big Island of Hawaii runs on tourism, but that’s not all. Residents will work on getting things back to normal and functional as fast as they can, but now more than ever a little more patience and understanding.
Who Can I Make a Donation To for Hurricane Victims
Making a donation after a big storm is always a good way to provide assistance. With Hawaii it’s a little more complicated because the question of getting supplies quickly and efficiently to the islands makes recovery a big slower. Financial donations are the best way to help initially.
Global Empowerment Mission is our top choice for making a donation after Hurricane Lala. This is a group whose operations move swiftly and act to help recovery and rebuild happen in a way that benefits the PEOPLE first. They’re not just people ready to provide some cleanup supplies, but they also can coordinate skilled people who know how to do the work and organizational tasks to get life back on track.
The Salvation Army is another organization that does a good job helping in disaster situations, and their presence here in Hawaii is fairly strong and ready to help. They work with everything from providing temporary shelter to supplies people with necessities following a loss, and other recovery programs that vary as an emergency situation changes and improves. My cousins work in the Salvation Army here in the islands and they are pretty good people and I trust them.
The American Red Cross is a consistent helper in disaster situations. From flood preparedness to clean up, they are actively mobilized in Hawaii to assist in the areas most impacted by the rain and wind from Hurricane Lala.
Can I Still Visit the Big Island Now?
Y’all, hold up. This is the same question that people had during the Maui fires that destroyed Lahaina. You have to think about the purpose of your trip. Are you visiting the Big Island to gawk at the damage and give commentary on how slow recovery efforts are, or do you want to visit right now to have a beautiful vacation? Neither of those is a good reason to visit the Big Island right now following Hurricane Lala. Right now there are a lot of damaged roads, damaged businesses, and people trying to pull their lives back together. Clean water is an issue immediately following a hurricane too, so just think about all that.
One of the most popular stops on Mamalahoa Highway between Kona and Hilo is in Naalehu, the Punalu’u Bake Shop. They thrive on tourism dollars as people flow through daily buying the most delicious bread and malasadas. The Punaluu Bake Shop was flooded and severely damaged by waters rushing down the mountain on August 15. Rebuilding and recovery will take some time just for this business, but in the meantime surrounding homes and other businesses were hit hard and swept off their foundations.
The road to the famous Papakolea Green Sand Beach is all but washed out. Bridges all are being evaluated for structural integrity. Hilo has a lot of clean up and repairs, especially relating to its giant trees. Waimea has severe wind damage to work through. Even Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closed and must work on repairs and evaluation of public areas before reopening.
When Will Hawai’i Island Be Back to Normal?
Think about when something bad happens in your world, such as a natural disaster or losing a loved one. In addition to the logistics and action it takes to get things back to normal, there’s also a fair amount of trauma that a person or a community must work through before they are ready to interact with the world again. With the Big Island following Hurricane Lala, there will be a lot of work happening to reopen tourism swiftly because it is a huge part of the local economy and nearly everyone’s lives are touched by tourism in some way. Even with that motivation and priority, it will still take longer to be recovered than you might see when a similar sized hurricane hits Florida.
Given that not all of the islands were hit by Hurricane Lala with the same concentration that Hawai’i Island was, there are resources and support nearby that can help with recovery, but still a lot of supplies and skilled labor will be needed from the continental US to repair and rebuild everything that was impacted. Patience is a virtue, and if you show up to a hotel or B&B in the few months following Hurricane Lala, you should not expect a picture perfect Hawaii trip, but one that does well with what is available and that may be marked with closures and limited services.
NOTE: while the damage from Hurricane Lala isn’t as terminal as the fire that destroyed Lahaina, it is a very similar situation for many in terms of the loss and trauma.
Is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Closed?
Hurricane Lala did force Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to close. The primary area around Kilauea and Chain of Craters Road fully closed, with access to the military camp and Volcano House only being allowed for registered guests who then had to shelter in place. The Mauna Loa Road fully closed as did the Kahuku Unit. Flooding, down trees, wind damage and general hurricane repair work all impact the timeline for reopening each section of the park.
WE WILL UPDATE THIS ARTICLE AS PARTS OF THE PARK REOPEN. Check NPS website here for updates.
Are the Other Hawaiian Islands Damaged by Hurricane Lala?
While the Big Island of Hawai’i suffered the most widespread and intense damage from Hurricane Lala, Lanai, Maui and Oahu also experiences some record winds and rain. A lot of trees came down from the wind and softened soils and flooding in some areas. While Honolulu and Kihei are cleaning up, they will be more ready for visitors sooner than Hilo and parts of the Big Island. Kauai also took a big dose of wind and rain, but made it through more gently than the other islands.
Thank you for checking in and wanting to help with the recovery efforts of Hawaii following Hurricane Lala. Please feel empowered to make a donation to one of the organizations listed above, and if you have travel plans to come visit in the time directly following the hurricane, please don’t cancel them, but just keep in tune with the situation and be flexible. If you’re working with a travel agent, see what resources and ideas they have for still being able to have a great trip, even if it just means coming back to Hawaii at a slightly later date.
Thank you for being understanding and allowing the people of Hawaii time to recovery, both from the physical damage and the trauma of the storm. Resources are precious right now, and that includes peace of mind and time helping friends and family.
