This is because of a lack of power still in many areas and also to enable public works and utility crews to work more effectively to clear roads and restore power.<\/p>\n
Here is what else you need to know on the Big Island.<\/p>\n
Public schools<\/p>\n All Hawai\u02bbi State Department of Education schools and public charter schools will be closed Monday.<\/p>\n The additional closure will allow time to complete campus safety assessments, restore utilities where necessary and address storm-related impacts, the state said in a news release.<\/p>\n N\u0101\u02bb\u0101lehu Elementary School will remain closed to students and staff through Thursday, Aug. 20, because of storm-related damage and road closures affecting safe access. Families will receive updates directly from their schools regarding instructional plans and reopening timelines. Public schools statewide are already closed Friday in observance of Statehood Day.<\/p>\n Ka\u02bb\u016b High & P\u0101hala Elementary School\u00a0may be closed longer. The department continues to assess campus conditions and roadway accessibility.<\/p>\n Public libraries<\/p>\n All Hawai\u2019i Island branches of Hawai\u02bbi State Public Library System will remain closed Aug. 18.<\/p>\n The state is working to reopen libraries following the impacts of Hurricane Lala, with the safety of patrons and staff as the top priority.<\/p>\n Because conditions vary throughout the state\u2019s library system, reopening times will differ by location. Some libraries continue to address storm-related impacts, including power outages, downed trees and other conditions that may affect access to the buildings.<\/p>\n Patrons are encouraged to check the schedule at their local library and the Hawai\u02bbi State Public Library System website<\/a>\u00a0regularly for the latest updates as conditions change.<\/p>\n Airports<\/p>\n Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Ke\u0101hole reopened Sunday morning after airport personnel completed runway and terminal inspections. Passengers should check with their airline on flight status before going to the airport and should plan ahead for longer wait times to check in and clear security screening.<\/p>\n Harbors<\/p>\n Hawai\u2018i Island harbors in Hilo and Kawaihae are open and operating.<\/p>\n Supply Chain Hawai\u2018i<\/a> Executive Director Melissa Pavlicek provided a brief update Monday as the storm exits the area.<\/p>\n \u201cHawai\u2018i\u2019s commercial harbor terminals have been reopened after Hurricane\/Tropical Storm Lala,\u201d she said. \u201cCargo shipments carried by Matson, Pasha Hawai\u2018i and Young Brothers have resumed operations. Several ships were positioned offshore during the storm in order to immediately deliver cargo as soon as conditions allowed.\u201d<\/p>\n Pavlicek added that commercial harbors of Hilo and Kawaihae.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people and businesses supporting Hawai\u2018i\u2019s supply chain are dedicated to ensuring our communities have needed goods,\u201d she said. \u201cThank you to our crews, the U.S. Coast Guard, Hawai\u2018i [Department of Transportation] and all of the Hawai\u2018i Harbors User Group members who keep the supply chain running smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n Courts<\/p>\n Court and Judiciary facilities in 3rd Circuit Court on Hawai\u02bbi Island will remain closed Aug. 18; however, all other courts and Judiciary facilities statewide will reopen.<\/p>\n All hearings and trials scheduled Tuesday on Hawai\u02bbi Island will be rescheduled.<\/p>\n In addition, by\u00a0court order<\/a>, the deadline for all court filings due Tuesday on Hawai\u02bbi Island will be extended until Aug. 19.<\/p>\n The public is encouraged to visit the Hawai\u02bbi State Judiciary website<\/a> for updates and information regarding court operations. As always, parties also can monitor the state\u2019s online public case information system eCourt Kokua<\/a> for the most current information regarding hearings, trials and case activity.<\/p>\n Brown water advisory<\/p>\n The Hawai\u02bbi Department of Health has issued a brown water advisory for the Big Island. After storms or heavy rain, the water may contain higher than normal pollutant levels. The Department recommends staying out of these affected waters for 48 to 72 hours after the rain has stopped and after the beach has received full sunshine.<\/p>\n The Department of Health advises the public to avoid swimming, wading in, or drinking water from any freshwater streams or pond to prevent leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by the leptospira bacteria.<\/p>\n If the water is brown, turn around. For more information and updates, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n County water service<\/p>\n Effective immediately and until further notice, an essential needs only notice remains in effect for all Hawai\u02bbi County Department of Water Supply customers because of adverse impacts from Hurricane Lala, including power outages, islandwide.<\/p>\n Essential needs are for drinking, cooking or personal hygiene only. <\/p>\n The county is working closely with Hawaiian Electric to prioritize restoration of power to water facilities. Until power can be restored and the department can operate equipment normally, certain water systems will continue to have no water or low water pressure.<\/p>\n Potable water tankers were deployed for customer use at the following locations:<\/p>\n P\u0101pa\u02bbikou: Parking area behind P\u0101pa\u02bbikou Community Center.<\/p>\n Pepe\u2018ekeo: Parking area next to Kula\u02bbimano Community Center.<\/p>\n North Kohala: Bottom of Makapala Road.<\/p>\n N\u0101\u02bb\u0101lehu: Parking area across from Ace Hardware.<\/p>\n A map of permanent water spigots can be found at the Hawai\u02bbi County Department of Water Supply website<\/a> (www.hawaiidws.org) under the \u201cCommunity\u201d drop down menu.<\/p>\n Customers are asked to limit usage to individual household essential needs only.<\/p>\n Call 808-961-8790 for emergencies.<\/p>\n Hawaiian Electric<\/p>\n About 38,250 customers on the Big Island remained without power as of 7 p.m. Aug. 17, according to an 8 p.m. update from Hawaiian Electric \u2014 1,480 fewer than reported earlier Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n Most remaining outages are in the Puna, North and South Kona, North and South Kohala, H\u0101m\u0101kua and South Hilo areas.<\/p>\n Significant progress was made Monday afternoon on transmission line repairs that will reconnect power generation to the grid. About 25 teams began damage assessments Monday and will continue Aug. 18 working in areas of Kohala, upper Puna, Honoka\u2018a and South Kona.<\/p>\n Line inspections via three helicopters also were completed Monday. Teams were deployed to Puna and Kona Mauka as well for damage assessments.<\/p>\n Significant damage is being found as Hawaiian Electric completes ongoing damage inspections, particularly in remote areas.<\/p>\n Weather conditions slowed inspections, but crews again will work throughout tonight to restore as many customers as quickly and safely as possible.<\/p>\n Outage numbers represent a snapshot in time and change often as additional customers are restored and more outages occur, sometimes in the same area.<\/p>\n Vegetation management crews are trimming and removing trees and branches that fell on transmission lines.<\/p>\n Customers in heavily damaged rural areas are asked to prepare for extended outages.<\/p>\n Two of Hawai\u02bbi Island\u2019s largest independent power producers, Puna Geothermal Venture and H\u0101m\u0101kua Energy Partners, as well as wind energy providers H\u0101w\u012b Renewable Development and Pakini Nui, were unable to connect to the island\u2019s grid as of 4 p.m. Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hawaiian Electric also requested assistance from mainland partner electric utilities to expedite post-storm restoration. Roughly 100 crew members are anticipated to arrive as early as Tuesday and begin working Wednesday.<\/p>\n Customers can call Hawaiian Electric\u2019s Big Island Trouble Line at 1-855-304-9191 to report any downed power lines, which should always be treated as energized and dangerous. Call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.<\/p>\n The company is experiencing a high volume of calls at its customer center. Information about outages is available at the\u00a0Hawaiian Electric website<\/a>, the Hawaiian Electric mobile app (available on the\u00a0App Store<\/a> for Apple devices and\u00a0Google Play<\/a>\u00a0for Android devices or its social media accounts.<\/p>\n Customers also can sign up to receive emergency outage alerts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Spectrum services<\/p>\n Spectrum is assessing damage to its network from Hurricane Lala. Service interruptions are largely aligned with power outages impacting the area.<\/p>\n Power needs to be restored first before the company will be able to start making repairs. Spectrum already started to make necessary repairs wherever access is available, and it is safe for employees.<\/p>\n Hundreds of maintenance and field operations technicians are working tirelessly to repair the damaged network infrastructure to restore services as soon as possible.<\/p>\n Nearly 3,000 Spectrum Wi-Fi access points are open throughout the state to help community members stay connected. Some access points could be offline until power is restored. Click here<\/a> to learn more about the access points and get additional information.<\/p>\n Public Shelters<\/p>\n All shelters are closed in Hawai\u02bbi County, with the exception of the following two that are open Sunday night for residents that were severely impacted by Hurricane Lala.<\/p>\n Robert N. Herkes Gym, 96-1219 Kamani St., P\u0101hala.<\/p>\n N\u0101\u02bb\u0101lehu Elementary School gym, 95-5545 M\u0101malahoa Highway, N\u0101\u02bb\u0101lehu.<\/p>\n Bus service<\/p>\n With the exception of Paratransit Transportation Services, all Hele-On bus routes will remain cancelled Monday.<\/p>\n To report damage or need help?<\/p>\n If you sustained damage or, if you and your household are in need of help, as a result of Hurricane Lala, Civil Defense has a damage report and a Request for Assistance reporting portal on the County of Hawaii website or call Civil Defense at 808-935-0031<\/p>\n Residents in need of immediate assistance \u2014 such as food, clothing, debris removal, or shelter \u2014 from a coalition of nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies can complete a request for assistance form. <\/p>\n Click here to request other assistance<\/a>.<\/p>\n Transfer stations and landfills<\/p>\n County transfer stations and landfills that are normally scheduled to be open on Monday will be open, except for transfer stations in P\u0101hala, Wai\u2018\u014dhinu and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, which are inaccessible. <\/p>\n To assist cleanup efforts, transfer stations in Waimea, Kealakehe and Keauhou will accept green waste daily this week.<\/p>\n Hawai\u02bbi Volcanoes National Park closures<\/p>\n Most of Hawai\u02bbi Volcanoes National Park has limited services and remains closed due to a lack of power. The Welcome Center and Hawai\u02bbi Pacific Parks Association store will be closed Monday; however, park rangers and volunteers will provide visitor information in the Kilauea Military Camp lobby.<\/p>\n Mauna Loa summit, Red Hill and Mauna Loa Road past K\u012bpukapuaulu are closed. K\u012bpukapuaulu also remains closed because of hazard trees.<\/p>\n Crater Rim Drive West from the park entrance to U\u0113kahuna at the summit of K\u012blauea volcano has reopened. <\/p>\n The Welcome Center and the Hawai\u02bbi Pacific Parks Association store, Kahuku Unit, all trails and N\u0101huku lava tube, tent camping at N\u0101makanipaio campgroun, all backcountry sites including the coast and Pepeiao, Chain of Craters Road and the Crater Rim Drive East are closed. Visitors should check the park website for alerts,\u00a0www.nps.gov\/havo<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n These areas are still open for registered guests only: K\u012blauea Military Camp, Volcano House and the A-frame cabins at N\u0101makanipaio. Lodging guests must shelter in place.<\/p>\n County closures and facility impacts<\/p>\n All County Park & Recreational facilities and beach parks will be closed and all facility usage permits for Monday are canceled.<\/p>\n All County offices are closed Monday.<\/p>\n State closures<\/p>\n Courts and judiciary offices statewide will be closed Monday. All hearings and trials scheduled for Monday will be rescheduled. In addition, by\u00a0court order<\/a>, the deadline for all court filings due Monday has been extended until Tuesday. Visit the\u00a0Hawai\u02bbi State Judiciary website<\/a>\u00a0for updates and information.<\/p>\n The Hawai\u02bbi State Capitol will be closed on Monday.<\/p>\n The Hawai\u02bbi State Senate and House of Representatives offices, Legislative Reference Bureau, including the Public Access Room and LRB Library, and other legislative services will be closed to the public on Monday.<\/p>\n Hawai\u02bbi Department of Land and Natural Resources \u2014 out of an abundance of caution as Tropical Storm Lala continues its approach toward the state \u2014 on Friday announced the following closures of camping, parks, lands and trails:<\/p>\n Statewide<\/p>\n All camping and lodging in state parks and on state lands is suspended as of 7 p.m. Friday \u2014 and at least through the weekend. Notifications were sent to everyone who received a camping permit.<\/p>\n Refunds will be credited to the accounts of anyone who misses camping nights because of storm closures.<\/p>\n Hawai\u02bbi Island<\/p>\n All state parks on Hawai\u02bbi Island are closed Monday. <\/p>\n Hawai\u02bbi Island forestry and wildlife lands are closed Monday.<\/p>\n People are advised to avoid forested and coastal areas because of the dangers of rising streams, flash flooding, falling trees, storm surge and high surf. <\/p>\n Online resources:<\/p>\n University of Hawai\u2018i at Hilo and Hawai\u02bbi Community College<\/p>\n University of Hawai\u02bbi at Hilo and Hawai\u02bbi Community College were still determining on Sunday night whether they would open Monday.<\/p>\n For University of Hawai\u2018i at Hilo residential students, the on-campus residence halls remain open, and Residence Life staff members are actively present to assist on-campus students through the duration of the storm. The residence halls are relatively empty because students don\u2019t begin moving in until next week.<\/p>\n Road closures <\/p>\n For an updated list of road closures, visit the County of Hawaii Hazard Map:\u00a0Hazard Impact Map<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hawai\u02bbi Visitor Information<\/p>\n Hotels are open and continue to welcome guests. Travelers scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks should keep their travel plans and check directly with their hotels or other accommodations for emergency procedures or instructions, the Hawai\u02bbi Tourism Authority said in a state news release.<\/p>\n Direct visitor messaging, including active weather alerts and island-by-island conditions and closures, will continue through GoHawai\u02bbi social media channels, the GoHawai\u02bbi website alert banner and dedicated landing page, the GoHawai\u02bbi app through push and in-app alerts, and the 1-800-GOHAWAII call center. Visit\u00a0gohawaii.com\/lala<\/a>\u00a0or call 1-800-GOHAWAII, available 24 hours a day to answer any questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Visitors\u2019 Guide to Hawai\u2018i News, Radio, and Weather<\/a>: This updated visitor guide lists local news and official information sources so visitors can stay informed and adjust their plans as needed. Please share the guide with guests, clients and customer-facing employees. The latest version is available at\u00a0hta.hawaii.gov.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Updated at 9:08 p.m. Aug. 17. Information will be regularly updated. Hawai\u02bbi Gov. Josh Green announced during a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":817402,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,233053,346800,217368,73157,3,154,5307,345677,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":["post-817401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-emergency-proclamation","tag-flooding-preparedness","tag-hawaii-county","tag-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park","tag-news","tag-public-schools","tag-sandbags","tag-tropical-storm-lala","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=817401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817401\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/817402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=817401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=817401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=817401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7K2A0214-copy-1024x710.jpg\")
<\/a>Crews work to clear huge trees that have fallen on Highway 11 near the Pi\u02bbikea Bridge north of Pahala on Aug. 16, 2026. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Konawaena-2-1024x586.jpg\")
<\/a>Konawaena High School and all other Hawai\u02bbi Island public schools will be closed Monday. (Video screenshot: Hawai\u2018i Department of Education)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7K2A0355-copy-1024x736.jpg\")
<\/a>Utility lines are down along Highway 11 from Mountain View to Volcano in the aftermath of Hurricane Lala on Aug. 16, 2026. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\n![\"Nahuku](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Nahuku-lava-tube-bridge-replacement-project-to-begin-4-19-26-BIN-feature-pic-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>N\u0101huku lava tube and other parts of the Hawaiian Volcano National Park will be closed, starting noon on Aug. 14 in preparation for Tropical Storm Lala. (File photo)<\/p>\n