GOVERNOR GREEN, STATE, FEDERAL AND NONPROFIT LEADERS PROVIDE UPDATE ON POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE AND LALA RECOVERY EFFORTS
News Release from Office of the Governor, August 20, 2026
HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green joined state, weather service officials and nonprofit leaders today to provide an update on the potential tropical cyclone approaching Hawaiʻi and ongoing recovery efforts following Lala.
Hawaiʻi Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan and National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist John Bravender outlined statewide preparedness efforts, the latest forecast and potential impacts. Officials urged residents to monitor trusted sources, review emergency plans and prepare before conditions deteriorate.
The state is closely tracking Tropical Cyclone Two-C southeast of Hilo. The system is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm Saturday before passing south of the islands Sunday and Monday. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are the primary concerns, particularly for Hawaiʻi Island and Maui. Residents, especially those still recovering from Lala, should prepare now, review their emergency plans and closely monitor official weather updates.
“Lala tested our communities, but it also showed what Hawaiʻi can accomplish when government, nonprofits, businesses and neighbors work together,” said Governor Green. “As recovery continues and another system approaches, we are focused on both fronts: helping families get the support and resources they need now and ensuring our state is ready for what may come next. I am grateful to every responder, community partner, donor and individual resident, giving of themselves and stepping forward to support our people.”
“Our teams are coordinating closely with county emergency managers, the National Weather Service and response partners across the state while continuing recovery operations from Lala,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, Hawaiʻi adjutant general. “Residents should follow official updates, review their emergency plans and take practical steps now to protect their families. Early preparation gives our communities the best chance to stay safe.”
The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) has deployed more than $400,000 through its Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund to organizations assisting affected communities, including Vibrant Hawaiʻi and the Salvation Army Hilo Temple Corps. Support includes food, water, wellness checks, emergency communications, shelter assistance and other immediate needs.
Governor Green announced that Tadashi Yanai, UNIQLO founder and Fast Retailing chairman, president and CEO, will give a personal donation totaling $3 million to support communities affected by Lala. UNIQLO USA will donate up to 50,000 items of clothing. Assistance will be provided through Aloha United Way, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Global Empowerment Mission and Hawaiian Council.
“Hawai‘i’s greatest strength has always been our people and our ability to come together when challenges arise,” said Vibrant Hawai‘i CEO Janice Ikeda. “Across our communities, we are seeing cross-sector collaboration — including through our network of Resilience Hubs — driven by people who show up every day. The response has been incredibly coordinated because we have allowed hyper-localized hubs not only to inform the immediate response, but to lead it, while government and nonprofit partners have acted in ways that affirm their leadership and decision-making. It is this understanding — not only of how to step forward, but also when to step back and let others lead, recognizing that each of us holds one piece of something bigger—that will continue to carry us forward.”
“Time and again, we’ve seen how local leadership, trusted relationships and neighbors helping neighbors make all the difference during times of crisis,” said Hawai‘i Community Foundation CEO and President Terry George. “As Hawai‘i’s only community foundation, we built the statewide Stronger Hawai‘i Fund based on lessons learned from disasters such as the Puna lava flows and the Maui wildfires, helping align resources, reduce duplication and support recovery efforts as needs evolve. We’re grateful to the donors and partners who make this work possible and strengthen Hawai‘i for the future.”
Vibrant Hawaiʻi, one of the nonprofits providing recovery assistance on Hawaiʻi Island, is encouraging residents affected by Tropical Cyclone Lala to complete an online intake form to help the organization assess and quickly deploy resources like food, water, wellness checks, emergency communications and other immediate needs to residents. Residents affected by Lala may complete Vibrant Hawaiʻi’s online intake form here.
Nonprofits seeking financial support for community response and recovery efforts are encouraged to apply through the new JustFund application available through Funder Hui’s Hawai‘i Resilience & Recovery Funder Collaborative — a statewide philanthropy network of more than 35 funders — to streamline disaster giving. Nonprofits seeking recovery funding may apply through JustFund here.
The Stronger Hawai’i Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation was established to support preparedness, response, recovery and resilience efforts statewide. Designed for flexibility, the Stronger Hawai‘i Initiative allows HCF and trusted partners to direct resources and support where it is needed most, before, during and after a disaster. To learn more about the Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund or contribute, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/strongerhawaii.
For preparedness information, visit ready.hawaii.gov.
Assets:
Media outlets seeking footage of impacted areas and community response efforts may access photos here.
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City monitoring Invest 90E as recovery from Tropical Storm Lala continues
News Release from City and County of Honolulu, Aug 19, 2026
HONOLULU — Even as the City and County of Honolulu continues recovery operations following Tropical Storm Lala, emergency officials are closely monitoring another tropical disturbance in the Pacific that could bring impacts to Oʻahu early next week.
Invest 90E is currently located well east of the Hawaiian Islands and has a high probability of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm in the coming days. While it is still too early to determine the system’s exact track, intensity or potential impacts to Oʻahu, current forecasts indicate weather conditions could begin changing Monday and continue into Tuesday.
The City’s Department of Emergency Management is monitoring the system closely and remains in coordination with the National Weather Service and other government and emergency response partners.
“We have just come through a very difficult storm, and I know the last thing anyone wants to hear is that we are watching another system,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “But we need everyone to stay aware and stay prepared. We learned again with Lala how quickly conditions can change and how important it is to take these storms seriously. We are continuing our recovery work, but at the same time, we are already looking ahead and preparing for what could come next.”
City crews remain focused on recovery from Lala, including clearing debris, addressing damaged infrastructure, responding to drainage and flooding issues, and supporting communities impacted by the storm.
At the same time, City departments and agencies are reviewing their operational readiness and assessing what may need to be repositioned, replenished, or secured should Invest 90E pose a threat to Oʻahu.
Hawaii Sea Surface temperatures: 28C or higher feeds power into a hurricane. Below 28C draws power away from hurricane. LINK: hawaii.c.gif (1002×1336)
Now is the time for residents and visitors to prepare. Anyone who used supplies during Tropical Storm Lala should restock their hurricane and emergency kits now. Replenish food, water, medications, batteries, flashlights, and other essential supplies, and make sure your family’s emergency plan is up to date. Do not wait until the system is closer to the islands to begin preparing.
Residents should also inspect their properties for damage from Lala and secure or remove loose debris that could become hazardous during another period of strong winds or heavy rain.
The public is also strongly encouraged to sign up for HNL Alert, the City’s official emergency notification system, to receive important information about severe weather, emergencies, road closures and impacts to City services. Sign up for customized HNL Alert notifications at HNLAlert.gov or text HNLALERT to 888777.
Residents should also charge and have battery-powered or rechargeable NOAA Weather Radios ready and on standby. As we experienced during Lala, power outages and disruptions to cellular and internet service can make it difficult to receive critical information. A NOAA Weather Radio can provide an important backup source for official weather watches, warnings, and emergency information when other communications are unavailable.
The forecast for Invest 90E remains uncertain and is expected to evolve significantly over the coming days. The City will continue monitoring the system and provide additional updates as more information becomes available.
“We do not know yet what this system will become or exactly where it will go,” Mayor Blangiardi said. “What we do know is that we cannot afford to become complacent. Restock your supplies, stay informed and be ready. We will be watching this system closely, preparing accordingly and keeping the public informed every step of the way.”
For the latest Tropical Storm Lala recovery information and City resources, please visit: oneoahu.org
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Restoration continues as new potential storm system forms in the Pacific
Message to Customers from Hawaiian Electric, Aug 19, 2026
Aloha,
Crews remain focused on restoring power across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Oʻahu while monitoring a new potential storm system forming in the Pacific. The system is forecast to follow a similar path as Lala and could impact the state as early as this weekend.
More than 500 employees and contractors have been working in the field and behind the scenes and are already positioned across the islands to begin the power restoration process when it is safe to do so. However, a new storm could delay ongoing restoration efforts.
We urge customers to review their emergency plans, ensure they have supplies on hand, and to closely monitor weather updates. Preparation and safety tips are available at hawaiianelectric.com/stormcenter. Detailed tips may also be found in our Handbook for Emergency Preparedness , which can be downloaded for free in English, Cantonese, Ilocano, Korean, and Vietnamese languages, as well as a version for children.
Today, we expect to complete repairs on the majority of remaining customers without power on Oʻahu and on Maui. We released maps with estimated times of restoration for areas on Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu and Maui that remain without power. As of 2 p.m.:
Hawaiʻi Island: About 16,800 customers are without power. Most of the outages are in the Puna area, North and South Kona, North and South Kohala, Hamakua, North and South Hilo, and Ka‘ū. Today, crews will continue to make repairs and restore power where possible, prioritizing critical facilities followed by neighborhoods. Power was restored in sections of Puna, North and South Kohala, North and South Hilo, and Hamakua. Independent power producer Puna Geothermal Venture has been reconnected to the grid.
Maui County: About 2,800 customers are without power, due to a new outage in South Maui that crews are addressing as well as a temporary outage to parts of Hāna as crews perform urgent maintenance at its Hāna substation. Crews are still focused on restoring pockets in Upcountry, Haʻikū, Pe‘ahi and East Maui.
Oʻahu: Crews restored about 370 customers this morning. About 1,645 customers remain without power in Honolulu, Leeward and Windward areas. O‘ahu had 30 transmission/subtransmission lines affected by the storm and 13 have been restored. Customers from Salt Lake to East Honolulu who have electricity are asked to continue to conserve power today.
View restoration maps
Customers who are without power but see their neighbors have electricity restored should call their respective Trouble Line to report the outage:
Hawaiʻi Island: 1-855-304-9191
Maui County: 1-855-304-8181
Oʻahu: 1-855-304-1212
If you are using a portable generator, make sure it is placed in a well-ventilated area outside the home, and be sure to carefully follow all instructions in the manufacturer’s manual.
Misinformation about filing claims
There is a lot of misinformation circulating about filing a claim after a power outage. Under Tariff Rule No. 16 , approved by the State of Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commission, we are not liable for losses “caused by accident, storm, fire, strikes, riots, war, public safety power shutoff or any cause not within our company’s control through the exercise of reasonable diligence and care.” The losses that are not covered include, but are not limited to, food spoilage and medication that requires refrigeration, etc. More information about filing damage claims can be found on our company’s website.
We are committed to keeping you informed
We communicate restoration information to customers frequently through the news media and the following mobile-friendly resources:
Mahalo,
Hawaiian Electric