Hawaii News

Hawaiʻi is still tracking the aftermath of Hurricane Lala, with Hawaiian Electric saying major repairs are complete on both Hawaiʻi Island and across the state, while some customers remain without power and restoration work continues in a few areas. Maui Now reported that Hawaiian Electric has finished repairs to major systems damaged by the storm, and Big Island Now said the utility completed major repairs ahead of schedule even as equipment access continues to slow restoration for some customers. On Kauaʻi, the storm response is paired with ongoing relief work: Office of Hawaiian Affairs has delivered more than $1.5 million in assistance through kona low relief programs, nearly six months after severe flooding and damage in communities across Hawaiʻi.

Weather remains a central concern statewide. Forecasters are monitoring Lowell as it intensifies over the next two days, though the material says it still poses no immediate threat to Hawaiʻi. Residents on multiple islands are also being reminded about the monthly all-hazard siren test scheduled for Sept. 1, which Maui Now and Kauaʻi Now both note will run at 11:45 a.m. alongside the Emergency Alert System test.

On Maui, the community calendar is crowded with public-facing items: county DMVL offices will close temporarily on Friday, Sept. 4; the County of Maui is holding a Lahaina community meeting on Sept. 2; and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda will host a statewide telephone town hall on Sept. 1. Maui Now also reported a serious criminal case involving a 12-year veteran Maui Police Department officer charged with sexual assault, and a separate story about The Sewing Hui seeking help after flooding damaged its studio and disrupted community programs.

On Hawaiʻi Island, Big Island Now is following storm recovery, a 40th annual Hawaiʻi Kūpuna Hula Festival, and a Polynesian Voyaging Society induction of six new Pwo navigators, including the first four women in Hawaiʻi to earn the title. On Kauaʻi, attention includes a mainline break closing one lane on Kūhio Highway, shark-sighting advisories at Hanalei Bay, and overnight water shutdowns planned for parts of Umi Street and Poipū.