Hurricane Lala Relief: Kaʻū Still Needs Our Help
The wind has stopped. The rain has passed. Most of the roads have reopened, and life across much of Hawaiʻi Island looks normal again.
But for many families in Kaʻū, Hurricane Lala is far from over.
Homes were damaged. Roads and infrastructure were washed out. Families lost belongings, vehicles, and sources of income. Farmers and small businesses were hit hard. In some communities, daily life is still anything but normal.
As new events take over the headlines, it becomes easy for those families to be forgotten.
I hope we do not let that happen.
Hurricane Lala Relief Is Still Needed
Recovery has made real progress. Power has been restored to most customers who can safely be reconnected, and communities that were initially isolated once again have road access. Still, damaged infrastructure remains, and the recovery will take time.
Water remains a particular concern. As of the Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply’s September 9 update, the Waiʻōhinu-Nāʻālehu water system remains under a precautionary boil-water notice.
Those details may sound technical, but behind every damaged road and every disrupted water line is a family trying to get back to normal.
That is why Hurricane Lala relief still matters.
One of the things I love most about Hawaiʻi is the way people show up for each other when it counts. After Lala, volunteers quickly organized food, water, and essential supplies. The Nāʻālehu Resilience Hub distributed as many as 170 meals a day during the first two weeks of recovery, along with water, ice, canned food, and household necessities.
That is Aloha in its truest sense.
How You Can Help Kaʻū
If you can help, even a small donation can provide something a family genuinely needs.
The Mālama Kaʻū Foundation is a local 501©(3) organization providing direct Hurricane Lala assistance in Kaʻū. According to its latest update, donations are helping provide fuel cards, propane, portable chargers, and emergency supplies. The foundation reports that 100 percent of donations made to its Hurricane Lala relief fund go toward relief efforts in Kaʻū. As of September 7, 132 individual donors had contributed more than $26,000.
Another option is the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Stronger Hawaiʻi Initiative, which has already directed funding toward communications, emergency animal assistance, water resources, and other recovery needs following Lala.
The Hawaiian Council’s Kākoʻo Mai initiative is also supporting communities affected by Hurricane Lala with assistance for housing stability, transportation, financial needs, and long-term disaster recovery.
Please Don’t Forget Kaʻū
Hawaiʻi has been through an extraordinary hurricane season, and another storm can quickly move yesterday’s disaster out of the headlines.
But rebuilding does not happen on the news cycle.
For the families who lost part of their home, their business, their income, or simply their sense of security, recovery continues long after the television cameras leave.
If Hawaiʻi has ever given you a beautiful memory, a place you love, or a feeling you carried home with you, perhaps this is an opportunity to send a little Aloha back.
Donate if you can. Share these resources if you cannot. Sometimes, getting the right information to the right person can make a difference.
Kaʻū still needs us.
Mahalo for your help.
Comments