Hurricane LalaKaʻū recovery
On August 15, 2026, Lala brushed the Big Island and dropped more than three feet of rain in places. In Kaʻū, homes washed away, cars ended up in the trees and the highway was cut both ways. We went. We’re still there.
Where
Wood Valley, Pāhala, Nāʻālehu and Waiʻōhinu, Hawaiʻi Island
When
August 2026 – now
Status
Active, long-term recovery
Alongside
Kerry Catt, Keith & Robby Kauhane, Ancient Valley Growers, Pono Hana Hauling, Dickinson Contracting, Hawaii Fitness Foundation
Heavy machines first
Clearing the way back in.
Before anyone could clean a house, they had to be able to reach it. Kerry Catt donated his time and his equipment. Keith and Robby Kauhane ran the machines and hauled debris, and Pono Hana Hauling dropped a bin.
Piles that would have taken a crew weeks by hand were moved in days, so families could finally get inside and start cleaning.
Inside the farms
Gutting the walls before mold wins.
At Ancient Valley Growers in Wood Valley we pulled out soaked drywall and debris. Getting wet material out fast is the difference between cleanup and a mold problem that makes a family sick.
Up the valley, Glenn has shaped his 20-plus acre farm by hand for most of his life. A big piece of it is gone. Farms like his don’t come back in one workday.
The people of Kaʻū
Tough people. Give them some love.
Leilei and Doug in Pāhala were flooded out. Ned is rebuilding with help from his own GoFundMe. These aren’t statistics to us. We know their names.
Tyler from Dickinson Contracting and Tiger from the Hawaii Fitness Foundation heard what Kaʻū needed and pulled a crew together. Home Depot took $500 off the flooring. Every little bit helps.
A promise to keep showing up
This is a long road.
In October, at the Kona Coast Leadership Summit, the Freedom Promise Foundation launched to carry the work in Kaʻū forward. What began as showing up after a disaster has become a commitment to walk with these families through recovery and beyond.
Kaʻū is rural and easy to forget. Recovery here is measured in months and years, not news cycles.
“It’s more than a launch. It’s a promise to keep showing up. For Kaʻū, for Hawaiʻi, and for the people who need us most.”Freedom Promise Foundation launch, October 2026
Watch ithappen.
Follow on InstagramKerry Catt’s machines hauling debris across Kaʻū
Gutting drywall at Ancient Valley Growers
Meet Glenn: a 20+ acre farm built by hand
Leilei and Doug of Pāhala tell their story
An update from Ned
Tyler and Tiger bring a crew to Kaʻū
Cars swept up by the flood in Wood Valley
Waiʻōhinu channel, Kaʻū Auto Repair, Nāʻālehu Fire Station
A silent walk through Wood Valley
Nāʻālehu Cemetery reopens for visits
The numbersbehind this story.
Lala never made landfall. It didn’t have to. Kaʻū is rural, a long way from help, and easy to forget.
Be ready forthe next Kaʻū.
Nobody saw Lala coming for Kaʻū. We could move in days because people had already given. Be part of the solution, so we can show up for the next family that needs it.