Governor Josh Green Declares State of Emergency as Hurricane Lala Knocks Out Power to 200,000 in Hawaii

HONOLULU, HI — Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed a comprehensive statewide Emergency Proclamation as Hurricane Lala—which tracked just south of the island chain bringing torrential rainfall and sustained tropical-storm-force winds—left more than 200,000 residences and commercial properties without electrical power and triggered destructive flash flooding across Hawaii and Maui counties.

Disaster Proclamation and State Emergency Mobilization

The executive proclamation mobilizes state disaster relief funds, activates the Hawaii National Guard for high-water search-and-rescue operations, and coordinates emergency grid stabilization with Hawaiian Electric:

• Statewide Outages and Grid Damage: Sustained winds of 65 mph with gusts exceeding 80 mph brought down critical high-voltage transmission lines, leaving roughly 200,000 customers dark. Officials warned that while urban Honolulu and West Oahu will see rapid reconnection, isolated rural communities in East Maui and the Puna district of Hawaii Island could face multi-week restoration timelines.
• Government and School Closures: Governor Green ordered the closure of all non-essential state and county offices, public school campuses, and state courthouse facilities across Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu to clear transit corridors for emergency response crews.
• Emergency Funding Allocation: The proclamation unlocks $10 million from the state emergency reserve to expedite debris removal, restore damaged culverts along the Hana Highway, and support temporary emergency shelters operated by the American Red Cross.

"Our first and only priority is protecting life and securing essential services for our families," Governor Green said from the State Emergency Operations Center in Diamond Head. "We have deployed our National Guard teams, opened emergency evacuation shelters, and instructed all state emergency assets to work around the clock alongside utility line crews to restore electricity and ensure our hospitals and vulnerable residents remain safe."

Regional Flooding and Infrastructure Impact

Heavy squalls dumped 8 to 14 inches of rain across windward slopes, causing localized mudslides and structural flooding that damaged over 100 homes. Emergency crews conducted water rescues in Kau and South Hilo after swollen streams breached residential perimeters. One storm-related fatality was confirmed following a vehicle collision during torrential conditions on Route 11.

Hawaiian Electric reported staging specialized utility crews and bucket trucks across key switchyards to begin replacing downed utility poles as soon as wind speeds subside below safety thresholds.

Next Steps and Public Safety Warnings

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) urged residents to stay off flooded roadways, treat all downed power lines as energized, and monitor emergency notifications through local broadcast networks and the official state disaster portal at ready.hawaii.gov.