Pay for Starlink or ‘climb a hill’: How rural Maui endured Hurricane Lala without power, internet, cell service

Hilton announced the appointment of Jon Gersonde as managing director of Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort.

Two Fiscal Year 2027 grant-funding opportunities — a new Financial Literacy Program focused on strengthening County grantees, small businesses and community members, as well as a second round of Student and Youth Travel funding for Hāna, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi – are available, the County of Maui Office of Economic Development (OED) announced.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery and Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) are encouraging residents and businesses to report storm damage to private property from Tropical Storm Lala to help officials document the extent of damage and support recovery efforts.

In Upcountry, a massive number of downed trees along Olinda and Piʻiholo roads have caused waterline breaks in multiple locations and blocked access to water treatment facilities. Access to the facilities has since been restored, but crews continue to work through the extensive debris and damage.

The County of Maui Department of Planning is informing property owners and residents within the Special Management Area (SMA) throughout Maui County of limited activities that are permissible due to the state emergency proclamation for Tropical Storm Lala.

County of Maui offices, facilities and services will be closed or modified on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, for the Statehood Day holiday.

The beloved Maui County Fair Parade, presented by Maui Land & Pineapple Company Inc. and supported by the County of Maui, will kick off the 99th Maui Fair on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi) today announced that the US Department of Transportation approved an initial $6 million in Emergency Relief “quick release” funds to help Hawaiʻi repair transportation infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Lala.

Hawai‘i Police Department is investigating the death of an unidentified man in his 60s, whose body was found in a pasture off Highway 11 near the 63-mile marker in Ka‘ū. This is the second individual whose death appears to be related to impacts from Hurricane Lala and extreme weather conditions associated with the storm. Earlier this week, police confirmed the death of 93-year-old former Nā‘ālehu schoolteacher May Doi.

Hawaiian Electric crews made strong overnight progress repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring power to 99% of affected customers on O‘ahu, 98% on Maui, and 75% on Hawai‘i Island. The company expects to complete repairs today on the majority of remaining customers without power on Oʻahu and on Maui.

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday unanimously rejected a proposal to put a 30-year East Maui commercial water license up for public auction, while separately voting to advance a court-ordered contested-case hearing over revocable permits held by Mahi Pono and East Maui Irrigation Co.

As communities across Hawaiʻi begin recovering from the impacts of Lala, Hawaiian Council has committed $300,000 to immediate relief and recovery and has begun deploying resources to impacted communities.