Kauaʻi County: What you need to know about Tropical Storm Lala and recovery

Editor’s Note: Information will be regularly updated.

Here is what you need to know about Lala if you are a resident or are visiting Kauaʻi and Niʻihau.

Public schools

All public schools on Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokai and Lānaʻi reopen Aug. 18 to students and staff. All state and complex area offices also reopen Tuesday.

School leaders, facilities personnel and designated staff throughout Aug. 17 assessed campuses, restored operations and prepared facilities for the safe return of students and employees. Power and other utility service gradually were restored to affected campuses.

Hawai‘i Department of Education as of 6 p.m. Monday received about 100 storm-related work orders statewide, including 80 on O‘ahu and 28 on neighbor islands.

Courts

Court and Judiciary facilities in the 3rd Circuit on Hawaiʻi Island will remain closed Aug. 18; however, all other courts and Judiciary facilities statewide will reopen.

Judiciary operations in Kauaʻi’s 5th Circuit will resume as scheduled Tuesday.

The public is encouraged to visit the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary website for updates and information regarding court operations. As always, parties also can monitor the state’s online public case information system eCourt Kokua for the most current information regarding hearings, trials and case activity.

Public libraries

All Kauaʻi branches of Hawaiʻi State Public Library System will reopen Aug. 18. Hanapēpē and Princeville libraries will open at 1 p.m. Tuesday; all others will open at regular time.

Patrons are encouraged to check the schedule at their local library and the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System website regularly for the latest updates

Water outage

A water conservation notice previously in place for the Hanapēpē-ʻEleʻele and Kekaha service areas was lifted Monday evening.

Spectrum services

Spectrum is assessing damage to its network from Hurricane Lala. Service interruptions are largely aligned with power outages impacting the area.

Power needs to be restored first before the company will be able to start making repairs. Spectrum already started to make necessary repairs wherever access is available, and it is safe for employees.

Hundreds of maintenance and field operations technicians are working tirelessly to repair the damaged network infrastructure to restore services as soon as possible.

Nearly 3,000 Spectrum Wi-Fi access points are open throughout the state to help community members stay connected. Some access points could be offline until power is restored. Click here to learn more about the access points and get additional information.

To report damage

The Kaua’i Emergency Management Agency has opened damage reporting portals for the public to submit damage reports related to Tropical Storm Lala. The portal can be found at www.kauai.gov/KEMA.

Road closures/conditions

• Kūhiō Highway in the vicinity of the Hanalei Bridge is now passable and has been reopened.
• Kūhiō Highway in the vicinity of the Manoa Stream is closed.
• Kuamoo Road in Wailua Homesteads is closed due to a downed pole. 
• Pu’u Road in the vicinity of Ihu Road is closed due to a downed tree.
• Kolo Road northbound lane is blocked due to a downed tree.

Road work ahead

Kaua’i County Department of Public Works and contractor Grace Pacific announce lane closures from Aug. 18 to Sept. 4 along portions of Kīlauea Road in Kīlauea for road repairs, weather permitting.

Flaggers will be positioned at the ends of the closures to direct traffic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during workdays. No parking will be allowed in the work zones during this time.

Access to properties will be provided.

Contact Grace Pacific at 808-652-0402 or Todd Ozaki with Kauaʻi County at 808-241-4845 or via email at tozaki@kauai.gov for additional information.

Public Works and contractor The Cutting-Edge also announce lane closures and intermittent full road closures for Aug. 17 along a portion of Hailima Road in Lāwa‘i to conduct emergency tree removal.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane with alternating flow, and intermittent full road closures could be necessary. Flaggers will be positioned at the work zone to direct traffic.

During this time, no parking will be allowed in the work zones.

Contact Kelli-Ann Oku with the Public Works Roads Division at 808-241-4899 or via email at koku@kauai.gov for additional information.

Motorists should observe and obey all traffic controls, posted signs and flaggers in both work areas. Anticipate delays and allow extra travel time to get to your destination if you must drive through the areas.

County and state closures

• The Kalalau Trail, the Nāpali Coast State Park and Polihale State Park are closed. The Hā’ena Shuttle has also been suspended.
• All State Forest Reserves are closed.
• All state camping, parks, lands and trails are closed. Refunds will be credited to the accounts of anyone who misses camping nights because of storm closures.
• Pacific Missile Range Facility guest passes and recreational areas are closed until further notice.
• The Department of Motor Vehicles was closed Monday, so all DMV appointments scheduled for Monday must be rescheduled.

Cancellations

The Hawaiian Homes Commission canceled its scheduled monthly meetings on Monday and Tuesday in Kapa‘a.

Recreation

The public is advised to check conditions before venturing out for hiking, river, or beach excursions. River and stream crossings, recreational trails, and other outdoor recreation areas may quickly become hazardous. During severe weather, emergency rescues may not be possible. Do not cross swollen rivers or streams; always check with a lifeguard at any lifeguard station before entering the ocean. Know before you go.

For up-to-date information about Kauaʻi ocean conditions and safety, please speak to a county lifeguard, visit safebeachday.com, or call the Ocean Safety Bureau at 808-241-4984.

Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative

Members are asked not to call solely to report outages. KIUC’s Outage Management System automatically alerts KIUC when power is lost. Outage status can be monitored on KIUC’s outage map. Please report downed power lines, damaged poles, arcing equipment or any information that may help crews identify hazards and restore service.

Never approach a downed power line. Always assume it is energized, keep others away and call 9-1-1 if there is an immediate danger.

For the latest updates, please view KIUC’s Facebook page.

Brown water advisory

A brown water advisory has been issued for Kauaʻi.

The Hawaii Department of Health advises beach users to stay out of waters that appear brown or murky, especially following storms or heavy rain because the water may contain higher than normal pollutant levels. The Department recommends staying out of these affected waters for 48 to 72 hours after the rain has stopped and after the beach has received full sunshine.

The Department of Health advises the public to avoid swimming, wading in, or drinking water from any freshwater streams or pond to prevent leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira bacteria. If the water is brown, turn around.

For more information and updates, click here.

Department of Water

Receive Department of Water alerts by signing up for Everbridge, the County of Kaua`i’s mass notification system.

Important numbers and resources

To stay updated, stay tuned to local media broadcast channels for the most up-to-date information. The following provides a list of important resources on emergency preparedness.

• Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency — kauai.gov/kema.
• National Weather Service — weather.gov/hfo, or automated weather line at 808-245-6001.
• Kaua‘i Department of Water — 808-245-5400 and kauaiwater.org/.
• Road and closure conditions — 808-241-1725.

Officials remind the public to use 9-1-1 only for life-threatening or time-critical emergencies. Calls to 9-1-1 for weather updates or general road conditions can significantly delay emergency response. To report non-emergency road hazards, contact KPD Dispatch (non-emergency) at 808-241-1711.

To sign up for Everbridge, the County’s emergency notification service, please visit www.kauai.gov/KEMA and click “Notification Services.” You may also text “KAUAIEMA” to 888777, or call the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency at 808-241-1800.