Leila Fujimori and Victoria Budiono

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

(TNS)

Hawaii island avoided a direct hit from Hurricane Lala Saturday by about 30 miles, but the storm still wreaked havoc across the island before weakening as it moved toward Oahu, where officials warned residents to prepare for worsening conditions today.

Hawaii County reported the hurricane produced heavy rainfall, with accumulations of 5 to 15 inches in windward locations and over 20 inches in some isolated areas. Wind gusts of over 50 mph were reported, with the highest gusts exceeding 70 mph in South Point and 80 mph in Kohala.

At 7 p.m., Lala still had 80 mph maximum sustained winds with higher gusts and was 40 miles west of South Point and 160 miles southeast of Honolulu, moving northwest at 9 mph.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda reported massive flooding across the island and power outages that would likely last for days. The outages affected at least 62,000 Hawaiian Electric customers. The company reported that on the Hamakua Coast, wind-toppled trees knocked down multiple poles and structures along a 42-mile span of transmission lines.

The crash occurred sometime between 2 and 3 p.m., when the storm was said to be close off the southern coast.

Gov. Josh Green said in a video posted on social media at about 5 p.m. that his team had started the paperwork for a major federal disaster declaration. He also urged people to stay off the roads until the storm passes the islands.

In Kau, Miranda’s Farms, an award-winning coffee grower, was being pummelled by the weather. Co-owner Maria Miranda Burke said she was in Kona on the phone with her mother in Kau when she lost contact with her at about 2:30 p.m.

“I haven’t heard from her in three hours,” Burke said. “Conditions are quite serious.”

She said her mother sent videos of their badly damaged coffee shop, with large pieces of debris tossed about and downed power lines. Three to four Norfolk pines and eucalyptus trees were felled and a large metal and wood structure that housed ATVs and other farm equipment was destroyed.

“The wind completely picked up fencing (from a large livestock pen) and tossed it on top of coffee trees,” Burke said. “They were able to gather some of the sheep and goats, from what my mother was saying. The dogs are safe, but not sure about the peacocks and cattle.”

Burke added that Miranda’s Farms recently celebrated its first-place award in the Hawaii Coffee Association’s cupping competition.

“We were so proud of what those trees and this land produced,” she said. “And now, within such a short period of time, we find ourselves unable even to reach the farm, wondering what condition those same trees will be in when this passes. We’re praying that the crop and the trees are spared, but right now we simply don’t know.”

Burke added, “It really puts agriculture into perspective. You can spend years nurturing a tree and an entire season caring for a crop, and in a matter of hours nature can change everything.”

The hurricane had friends and relatives checking on one another, including a small social network of neighbors in Keaau near Hilo.

Margo Vitarelli, 80, said her phone was constantly ringing Saturday with calls and texts from a close-knit group of about a half-dozen neighbors, as well as calls of concern from friends and relatives from afar.

“It’s nonstop rain with gusts, and a stream has developed behind our neighbor’s house,” she said. “We trimmed all our trees yesterday, moved potted plants and outdoor cushions inside. The chickens in the coop are all in the dry corner.”

One neighbor was worried about a 100-foot-tall eucalyptus “that is doing the hula-hula,” Vitarelli said.

Her partner, Glenn Metzler, 72, said that dozens of trees on their property were bending in the wind and a stand of banana trees came down.

In Keaukaha, Nalani Viveiros anxiously watched as conditions in the Hawaiian homestead subdivision near Hilo worsened late Saturday afternoon into the evening.

“It’s blowing big gusts,” she said. “There are trees all around my house and I’m watching them sometimes go sideways.”

Viveiros, 70, said that so far her property had escaped storm-related damage, but the hurricane hadn’t passed yet. She added that she’s never seen such windy weather.

“Not like this. It’s rainy, but, you know, it’s Hilo,” she said. “But not big gusts like this. It’s scaring me.”

Hawaiian Electric said in a news release that with four of its independent power providers disconnected from the electrical grid on Hawaii island due to storm damage, the company “may temporarily turn off power to customers to maintain system stability and prevent damage to generating units.”

The temporary forced outages would affect only its customers on Hawaii island, the release said.

HECO also said that two of the island’s largest independent power producers, Puna Geothermal Venture and Hamakua Energy Partners, as well as wind energy providers Hawi Renewable Development and Pakini Nui, also were unable to connect to the grid.

On Oahu, at a 5 p.m. news conference, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the following 12 to 18 hours would be critical as Lala’s impacts intensify.

“We have some 9,000 homes right now without power on Oahu, and it’s just barely approaching us,” Blangiardi said.

Honolulu’s first-responders already were busy Saturday answering storm-related calls. Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao said firefighters were dispatched late in the day to a report of a hiker in distress at Lulumahu Falls Trail off the Pali Highway.

Honolulu Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager reported that high surf had kept lifeguards occupied, particularly along windward and southern shores.

“Today we responded to 59 different rescues and we made close to 7,000 preventive actions,” Lager said at the news conference. He emphasized the importance of preventive actions by ocean safety officers, including warnings to beachgoers about dangerous conditions before they enter the water.

“That’s a rescue we never have to make,” Lager said.

Jim Ireland of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said crews received at least one storm-related 911 call after a gust of wind knocked over an older pedestrian. The woman was not seriously injured, he said.

His agency and others stepped up efforts to move people experiencing homelessness into shelters Saturday. Over the past four days, EMS crews proactively visited areas considered dangerous during severe weather, including under bridges and in low-lying locations.

EMS also used its Community Outreach Response and Engagement, or CORE, bus as well as a city bus to travel to beach parks, King Street, South Beretania Street and other areas where the homeless are known to stay.

Residents and visitors who need temporary protection from severe weather can hold up in eight “hurricane refuge areas” the city opened Saturday. The sites at Blanche Pope Elementary School in Waimanalo, Castle High School, Kahuku Elementary School, Kapolei High School, Mililani High School, Moanalua High School, Nanakuli Elementary School and Roosevelt High School will remain available as conditions warrant, officials said.

Honolulu Department of Emergency Management Director Randal Collins said that as of 6 p.m. Saturday, 55 people were staying at the refuge areas, while another 99 were being sheltered through HONU, the city’s program that provides temporary shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness.

The city Department of Transportation Services temporarily suspended TheBus service Saturday night due to high winds and rain “to ensure the safety of passengers, operators and the traveling public.” Bus services will remain suspended until weather conditions improve and it is safe to resume operations, DTS said.

The Hawaii National Guard positioned about 180 personnel statewide to support state and county emergency response efforts. On Oahu, the Guard’s Joint Staff was activated to coordinate with county task forces and will operate around the clock through Monday, state officials said.

Additionally, Task Force Hawaii, made up of 41 Guard members, and Task Force Maui, with 19 soldiers and airmen, were prepared to respond to storm impacts. High-wheeled vehicle teams were pre-positioned in each county, while Guard liaison officers are working in emergency operations centers statewide to coordinate with state and county officials.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said the Pu‘ukapu Watershed Retarding R-1 Dam on Hawaii island activated its “nonfailure” emergency action plan. DLNR said the dam is functioning as designed, releasing water through injection wells on either side of the structure, which crosses Mana Road in Waimea.

The dam helps protect homes and farmland in Waimea below Mamalahoa Highway and is being monitored by the Hawaii County Department of Public Works.

Looking ahead, the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is urging residents to review their insurance policies and document any damage from Hurricane Lala.

Residents should keep copies of insurance policies, photograph or video valuables and save receipts for high-value items. Those with damage should document it once it is safe, prevent further damage where possible and contact their insurer before making permanent repairs.

Officials also warned residents to watch for contractor scams and to never sign an entire insurance claim check over to a contractor. Flood insurance policyholders can begin claims through the National Flood Insurance Program or by contacting their private insurer.

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