As Tropical Storm Nolo headed toward the Big Island with a hurricane watch in effect, Gov. Josh Green on Wednesday outlined recovery efforts for four different disasters that hit Hawaii earlier this year

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As Tropical Storm Nolo headed toward the Big Island with a hurricane watch in effect, Gov. Josh Green on Wednesday outlined recovery efforts for four different disasters that hit Hawaii earlier this year

Green said preliminary damage, recovery and future needs following the disasters total about $1 billion — $686 million from the March Kona low storms, the May 22 magnitude 6.0 earthquake, Hurricane Lala and Hurricane Lowell, and at least $319 million in “proposed resilience and mitigation projects” to strengthen critical infrastructure and prepare for future disasters.

“We went through first the Kona lows, which were devastating … followed by an earthquake which was very impactful on the Big Island, in my old community,” Green said during a press conference in Honolulu. “A lot of people had their property damaged, their water tanks damaged. That affected their lives.

“We then, of course, had two major hurricanes that came through, Lala and Lowell.”

Across all four disasters, 1,290 homes were impacted, including 74 destroyed, 451 with major damage, 514 with minor damage and 251 otherwise affected.

The Trump administration has registered all four events as eligible for disaster relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Green said.

At Wednesday’s news conference, Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan outlined the Hawaii National Guard’s rescue, evacuation, logistics and recovery missions. Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen provided updated infrastructure estimates, while Department of Human Services Director Joe Campos updated food assistance, shelter support and housing programs available to affected households.

The Kona low storms March 10-24 caused $44 million in damage to public infrastructure, with almost $17 million of that in Hawaii County.

There were 463 homes impacted on Hawaii Island — 17 completely destroyed, 210 suffering major damage, 128 minor damage and another 108 affected.

“Ultimately, we’ll find out how much FEMA can help us,” Green said. “Sometimes, housing isn’t restored as well as we’d like because a lot of people don’t have access to flood insurance. It’s somewhat rare and the limits aren’t as high as we’d like.”

On May 22, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck the Big Island, centered about seven miles south of Honaunau on the southwest flank of Mauna Loa. There was no damage to the Big Island’s public infrastructure, but 18 homes were destroyed, 92 sustained major damage, 188 had minor damage and 15 others were affected. In addition, residents reported that 107 water catchment systems were damaged.

“They can’t survive without those water tanks,” Green said of residents who don’t have county water service. “Those will be eligible for grants. We’ll see how much resources we get from FEMA on this, but they did register this as a federal disaster.”

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Hurricane Lala, which brought flooding, mudslides and rockslides to the Big Island in mid-August, did more than $67 million in damage to public infrastructure statewide, with $48.5 million of it in Hawaii County.

“Hopefully, significant amounts of that will come back to us through disaster declarations that are pending,” Green said.

Heavily damaged by mudslides were the landmark Punalu‘u Bake Shop and the Na‘alehu County Cemetery.

“An incredible effort came from cultural practitioners, and county folks were great,” Green said. “They worked a lot, of course, with our National Guardsmen because they had to protect the area. There were some concerns (about) people coming and perhaps desecrating the some of the remains. We’re mindful of the effect on the community.

“Of course, we’re still there, and we will still be there a long time.”

In response to Lala, the Hawaii National Guard activated up to 250 personnel, rescued or assisted 16 civilians and two emergency medical personnel, completed 421 wellness checks and cleared more than 6.9 miles of roadway. Guard members also removed 168 tons of debris.

In addition, Lala destroyed 29 Big Island homes, caused major damage to 82, minor damage to 102, and 54 others were affected. He said 12 tiny homes shipped to Maui in the aftermath of the deadly 2023 wildfire will be used to build a village in Naalehu for elderly residents who lost homes.

“There’s going to be a lot of folks eligible for individual assistance,” Green said, noting that he’s been in almost daily communication with Homeland Security Director Markwayne Mullen, whose department includes FEMA, and has found him responsive.

Recovery efforts remain underway in Ka‘u, including emergency repairs along Highway 11, debris removal, medical and behavioral health outreach, and temporary housing support.

Green said the state has reserved 100 hotel rooms in Hilo to shelter Ka‘u residents who want to get away from the flood-prone south end of the island as Nolo approaches. The governor, who was an emergency room doctor at Ka‘u Hospital, said, “There are few places that I care about more or love more than Ka‘u.”

“If you feel unsafe right now, please take us up on the offer to go up to Hilo as the new storm approaches,” he said. “The Department of Human Services … has set aside a hundred rooms. We can get you some quiet safety from this storm if you need.

“We will not forget any of the victims of Lala, Lowell or the earthquake or the Kona lows. That recovery is methodical and continues to go on. But I can tell you the homes that were buried in mud and debris may never be recovered. And so I suspect we’re going to have to build a new part of the town, whether it’s in Na‘alehu or Waiohinu or Pahala. So, we will need to build new houses. We will use some of our development dollars to do that. … That first little tiny village of 12 extra homes is just meant to be a start. The people of Ocean View are going to need a lot of support, also.

“But (Nolo) is coming, and it’s going to be very heavy rain. So, if you need extra help, support, go stay at hotels as long as you need. We’ll cover that. If you do decide to kind of wait out the storm at home, if it gets too severe, please listen to us if we ask you to evacuate. Material goods can always be replaced. Houses can be rebuilt. But we can’t bring back our loved ones.”

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Email John Burnett at [email protected].