NEWS RELEASE: State of Hawaiʻi Update on Tropical Storm Moke – State Departments Continuing to Work to Support Residents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

August 22, 2026

TropicalStormMoke-JIC-2026-003

HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green today submitted a formal request to the White House for a presidential emergency declaration following Tropical Cyclone Lala and incoming Tropical Storm Moke. The request seeks federal assistance for Hawaiʻi County, Maui County and the City and County of Honolulu, including specialized resources and emergency power support for affected communities.

Hawaiʻi state agencies also remain ready to respond to Tropical Storm Moke and support county emergency response efforts. State personnel and resources are on standby to address possible impacts as the storm passes south of the islands.

“Our teams are working on two fronts: helping communities recover from Lala while preparing for Moke,” said Governor Green. “We have submitted our request for federal assistance to bring additional resources to Hawaiʻi. State and county teams are ready to respond and I urge everyone to remain alert, follow official updates and avoid unnecessary risks as the storm passes.”

The following are the latest updates on response efforts and impacts:

HAWAIʻI NATIONAL GUARD (HING)

HING continues to support state and county response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Lala while preparing additional personnel and resources for Tropical Storm Moke.

Statewide: 153 HING personnel are positioned to support response and recovery operations, including 66 personnel on Oʻahu supporting Joint Staff operations, aviation crews and liaison functions at emergency operations centers and the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency.

Hawaiʻi Island: Task Force Hawaiʻi has 76 personnel supporting Hawaiʻi County, with five High-Wheeled Vehicle Teams (HWVT) and three aviation crews ready. HWVTs have assisted 16 civilians and rescued two EMS personnel.

93rd CERF-P operations: HING’s 93rd CERF-P (CBRN Enhanced Response Force Package; CBRN stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) initially supported Hawaiʻi County with wide-area searches in Kaʻū, conducting 322 wellness checks. The unit has since transitioned to helping recover iwi and remains displaced from the Nā‘ālehu cemetery by Hurricane Lala. Now on its fifth day of operations, the team has increased to 21 personnel and has identified 72 remains. Hawaiʻi County is establishing a hotline to connect with family members and coordinate next steps. HING personnel are following established protocols and cultural sensitivities in the handling and recovery of iwi and remains.

Debris removal: HING debris clearance teams have cleared more than 1,000 meters of debris from roadways and homes.

Maui: Task Force Maui has 11 personnel supporting Maui County and has conducted 80 damage assessments.

Tropical Storm Moke preparations: Task Force Hawaiʻi and Task Force Maui have each prepared five HWVT are ready to respond to county requests. HING’s joint staff and task forces are preparing to surge statewide staffing to approximately 250 personnel as needed for Moke.

Photos and video of the HING supporting storm response efforts are available here.

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DLNR)

Forests and wildlife lands: DLNR urges caution in forested and coastal areas, where impacts from Hurricane Lala may still pose safety risks. Tropical Storm Moke could bring rising streams, flooding, falling trees and branches, rockfalls, landslides, storm surge and high surf. Emergency response and rescue operations in hazardous areas may be delayed. Current closures and the status of DLNR-managed lands are available through the OuterSpatial app and dlnr.hawaii.gov.

Wahiawā Dam: Wahiawā Reservoir, also known as Lake Wilson, is currently at 76.4 feet. Goodfellow Bros. LLC, the contractor for the Wahiawā Dam Rehabilitation Project, is installing an AquaDam bladder that will raise the dam embankment by 1.5 to 2 feet, increasing capacity and helping prevent overtopping.

Houseless individuals: DLNR urges houseless individuals to leave forested, coastal and other outdoor areas at risk from flooding, high surf, rising streams, landslides and falling trees. Those near beaches or low-lying coastal areas, under bridges or near streams and drainage areas should move to higher ground. Those sheltering under large trees should move to a covered area away from trees. Emergency response or rescue from hazardous areas may be delayed.

Hawaiʻi Island: Parks closed due to Hurricane Lala will remain closed through the weekend. Kekaha Kai, Wailuku River, ʻAkaka Falls and MacKenzie state parks remain open but are prepared to close Sunday. Keanakolu and Ainapo cabins and the Puna Trail are closed. Small harbor restrooms on Hawaiʻi Island are closed, but the harbors remain open. Refunds for canceled camping and lodging permits will be credited to permit holders who miss camping nights because of storm closures.

Oʻahu: DLNR granted a request from Hawaiian Electric (HECO) to close Keaīwa Heiau State Recreation Area/ʻAiea Loop Trail for emergency repairs to a high-voltage feature. State park staff are contacting park visitors to exit as soon as possible so HECO can begin work to repair a structure carrying high-voltage transmission lines damaged by Tropical Storm Lala. Contractors have also been dispatched to clear Inaole Stream in Waimānalo and remove trees that fell into a stream near Sand Island.

Boating and harbors: State small boat harbors will remain open to provide safe harbor, subject to available mooring space and vessel size. Boat owners and operators should check moorings and lines, bilge pumps, cabins and hatches, and take precautions to protect themselves, their vessels and natural resources. Vessel groundings should be immediately reported to the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

Maui and Kauaʻi: No closures of state parks or camping areas are anticipated due to Tropical Storm Moke.

For updates on storm-related park closures, visit the Hawaiʻi State Parks website at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/.

DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT (DLE)

DLE is standing by to provide security support for state shelters. DLE drones are on standby for deployment, if needed, to identify areas of concern, such as flooded roads, damaged structures, landslides and evacuation needs.

HAWAI‘I DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (HDOT)

HDOT continues repairs to facilities damaged by Hurricane Lala while crews statewide prepare for heavy rain associated with Tropical Storm Moke. Crews are clearing vegetation and debris from streams and saturated hillsides, and preparing highways, airports and harbors for potential impacts.

Hawaiʻi Island: Repairs continue on Māmalahoa Highway (Route 11) in Kaʻū, where HDOT is requesting only local and disaster-response access between Pāhala and Waiʻōhinu, mileposts 49 to 69.5, to allow crews to work more effectively. Major repairs are underway near Pāhala Hospital and Nā‘ālehu Cemetery. Single-lane closures with alternating traffic control may be necessary.

HDOT is also clearing debris washed into streams along Route 11 by Hurricane Lala and previous storms between mileposts 50 and 56.5. All bridges along Route 11 in Kaʻū affected by Hurricane Lala have been inspected and are structurally sound and safe for operations.

At Hilo International and Ellison Onizuka Kona International airports, crews have reinspected drainage, trimmed trees, secured equipment and aircraft and prepared emergency generators.

Maui County: Crater Road (Route 378) remains closed to the public from milepost 2.5 as crews continue cleanup and repairs. The road is expected to reopen early next week. Crews also have cleared debris near bridges along Hāna Highway and within Ukumehame Stream along Honoapiʻilani Highway. Crews on Maui and Molokaʻi have checked low-lying areas and cleared adjacent drainage.

Airport staff at Kahului, Hāna, Kapalua, Molokaʻi, Kalaupapa and Lānaʻi airports have completed pre-storm preparations and are on standby.

Oʻahu: HDOT crews, working with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM), are clearing debris and vegetation from Mānoa, Waiawa, Kaʻalaea, Waiāhole and Kalihi streams. Work at Waiawa Stream may result in lane closures along Waiawa Road.

Preventive tree removal will continue Sunday beginning at 7 a.m. on Kamehameha Highway near Crouching Lion. Motorists should expect a single-lane closure with alternating traffic control.

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is monitoring the storm. Operations centers at the airport and Honolulu Harbor are prepared to activate if conditions warrant.

Kauaʻi: Highway crews continue clearing the Wailua River Bridge trestles and vegetation near Kainahola Bridge on the Temporary Kapaʻa Bypass Road. Vegetation clearing near Kainahola is expected to continue through next week.

Līhuʻe Airport has completed airside and landside inspections and pre-storm preparations, and staff is standing by.

Road-closure notices and updates will be provided on hidot.hawaii.gov/weather-traffic and HDOT’s social media accounts.

Pictures of the storm preparations are in the Tropical Storm Moke album on the HDOT Facebook page at facebook.com/HawaiiDepartmentOfTransportation.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (DOH)

The DOH continues to monitor health and medical operations statewide as Tropical Storm Moke approaches and recovery efforts continue on Hawaiʻi Island following Hurricane Lala.

Emergency medical services and hospitals: Air medical and ground EMS services are operating normally statewide and hospitals are operating at normal capacity. The Medical Operations Coordination Center (MOCC) continues to monitor 911 EMS, air medical services, hospitals and the Healthcare Emergency Management Coalition.

Hawaiʻi Island: Recovery efforts continue following Hurricane Lala. DOH Community Mental Health Clinics are open across Hawaiʻi Island. The 988 Hawaiʻi CARES and Youth Line remain available 24/7.

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAIʻI SYSTEM (UH)

The 10 UH campuses continue to monitor the storm and its potential impacts. The fall semester begins Monday with the first day of classes.

As a precaution, UH Mānoa has postponed its Welina Mānoa student welcome event, which was scheduled for Monday afternoon on campus.

HAWAIʻI TOURISM AUTHORITY (HTA)

HTA continues to provide active weather alerts, island-specific conditions and closure information through GoHawaii social media channels, the GoHawaii website and app, and the 1-800-GOHAWAII call center, available 24 hours a day. Visitors also can visit gohawaii.com/moke.

• Travel plans: Hawaiʻi continues to welcome visitors and advises travelers scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks to keep their plans. Visitors should check directly with their hotels or other accommodations for emergency procedures and instructions.
• Hawaiʻi Island road closure: The visitor industry continues to inform visitors that Māmalahoa Highway (Route 11) remains closed to through traffic between South Point Road and Kamani Street in Pāhala.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (DHS)

DHS continues to work with state, county and community partners to support residents affected by Hurricane Lala while preparing for Tropical Storm Moke.

• Housing assistance: State and county agencies are working together to provide interim housing for residents in need.
• Community support: DHS and its partners are monitoring conditions and coordinating resources to respond to community needs as Moke approaches.

Current SNAP recipients who lost food because of Tropical Cyclone Lala have until Sept. 3 to request replacement benefits. Households must submit a signed, written statement that includes the participant’s name, date and estimated value of the food loss, a description of what occurred and contact information. Statements may be submitted to any DHS Processing Center statewide, except the Kaʻū–Nāʻālehu and Kohala offices, which remain closed. For more information, visit the DHS website or call 1-855-643-1643.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Joint Information Center
Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency
State of Hawaiʻi