Hurricane Lala skirted narrowly south of Hawaii Island this weekend as a Category 1 storm packing 80 mph winds before moving westward, south of the island chain.

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Hurricane Lala skirted narrowly south of Hawaii Island this weekend as a Category 1 storm packing 80 mph winds before moving westward, south of the island chain.

Mayor Kimo Alameda said during a Sunday press conference in Hilo that he and Acting Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira made a helicopter flyover and witnessed destruction “like I’ve never seen before” in Ka‘u, including six bridges either damaged or destroyed.

“All of this devastation, and right now, there’s no reports of storm-related fatalities. And we pray that remains true,” Alameda said.

There were 65,000 Hawaii Electric customers without power at one point on Hawaii Island, and there were still widespread outages Sunday afternoon. As of 2:30 p.m., about 45,900 customers remained without power, primarily in Puna, South Kohala and South Hilo.

HECO warned that some customers should be prepared for extended outages in the hardest hit rural areas of the island.

“This storm was especially critical for the south side, with some flash floods … like I’ve never seen. Almost every part of the island was impacted in some way. We’re going to assess those needs today and every day this week,” Alameda said.

According to Alameda, he spoke over the weekend with Gov. Josh Green, an emergency room physician who once practiced at Ka‘u Hospital.

“He assured me that whatever we need to rebuild that side, he and I will fight tooth and nail for it,” Alameda said.

Both Green and Alameda signed emergency proclamations before Lala arrived, which is a step toward seeking federal relief funding.

Per Green’s directive, all county and state offices on Hawaii Island will be closed today, including DOE schools. All county parks and recreational facilities also will be closed today.

Pahala was isolated from the rest of the island over the weekend due to the road and bridge damage, Alameda said.

According to the mayor, 41 people spent Saturday night in the county’s Naalehu shelter, and another 13 stayed at the county shelter in Pahala.

Temporary Fire Chief Dan Volpe said a two-car collision in Ocean View that killed a 45-year-old Ocean View man and injured an 21-year-old Ocean View woman isn’t considered storm-related.

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“We had significant impacts … but due to the resiliency of the Big Island, we had very few injuries,” Volpe said, adding there are no unresolved reports of individuals missing due to the storm.

Two homes makai of Highway 11 in Waiohinu were affected by the flooding. One was washed completely off its foundation, and the other moved slightly from its site.

A woman living in the home swept off its foundation was found a short distance from the residence. Volpe described her injuries as “moderate.”

Oliveira said he didn’t see the type of wind damage from Lala that he witnessed in 2014 during Tropical Storm Iselle, which made a direct hit on the southeast portion of the island.

“But, it was certainly the worst flooding damage I’ve seen in the Ka‘u area,” Oliveira said. He added that bridge and road repairs in Ka‘u will be a “longstanding” challenge.

A county ambulance sustained some damage by floodwaters in Pahala, Volpe said, but a guardrail kept it from being swept off the road and sustaining further damage.

Rainfall totals for the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m. Sunday include Pahala at 23.66 inches and Lower Kahuku at 22.66 inches. Both are Ka‘u locations. Elsewhere, Laupahoehoe received 29.3 inches, Hakalau 25.64 inches, and Glenwood 20.1 inches.

HECO crews continue to make repairs, but some of the downed lines are transmission lines, which affect a larger number of customers and are harder to fix, Alameda said.

The mayor added that with winds decreasing, “you’re seeing more repairs now.”

According to Alameda, county crews spent the past month cleaning out canals, flood channels and culverts — plus trimming trees — in preparation for an active hurricane season.

“We did everything we thought could help … ,” he said. “We were ready.”

Police Chief Reed Mahuna expressed his gratitude for “everyone who checked on their neighbors, followed emergency guidance, and supported one another.”

Mahuna urged residents and visitors to “please stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary, especially in our hard-hit areas.”

“Please avoid sightseeing or traveling to damaged locations until … first responders and other recovery crews can reach those areas and restore essential services,” he said.

The Civil Defense Agency is asking residents to report damage from Hurricane Lala at tinyurl.com/3xabufum (for residential damage) or tinyurl.com/448py9pc (for commercial damage).

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Email John Burnett at [email protected].