City to close non-essential offices and services Monday following Hurricane Lala
HONOLULU — In response to the impacts of Hurricane Lala and to support ongoing response and recovery operations across Hawaiʻi, Governor Josh Green and the mayors of all four counties have made the coordinated decision to close State and county government offices and public schools on Monday, August 17, 2026. The statewide closure will allow emergency response, recovery, and restoration efforts to continue while communities across Hawaiʻi recover from the storm.
As part of that statewide action, Mayor Rick Blangiardi has ordered the closure of all non-essential City and County of Honolulu offices and services on Monday. All disaster response and disaster recovery personnel, as well as all employees designated by their departments and agencies, must report to work as directed. All other City and County of Honolulu employees will be granted administrative leave.
“While the storm has passed, our work is not finished,” said Mayor Blangiardi. “Our first responders, emergency personnel and City crews have worked tirelessly throughout this storm, and Monday will be an important day for assessing damage, clearing roads and debris, restoring services and helping our communities recover. This coordinated decision by the Governor and county mayors will allow us to keep our resources focused on that work while keeping unnecessary traffic off our roads and giving our communities time to recover.”
City crews will continue working throughout Sunday night and Monday to assess storm damage, remove fallen trees and debris, address flooding and drainage issues, reopen roadways and facilities, and respond to other storm-related hazards.
Power and communications disruptions also remain widespread across Oʻahu. As of Sunday afternoon, Hawaiian Electric is reporting 453 outages affecting approximately 113,000 customers. Cellular service disruptions are also being reported in parts of the island, and residents may experience intermittent calls, text messages, and data service.
City facilities and services Monday
The following City facilities and services will be closed Monday, August 17:
- All public park facilities – Park bathrooms will remain open, and staff will conduct damage assessments and continue repairs to outdoor facilities to return to normal operations.
- Honolulu Zoo
- Municipal golf courses
- City botanical gardens
- Satellite City Halls
- Driver Licensing Centers
Other non-essential City offices, facilities, programs and services will also be closed or suspended on Monday.
Essential services and transportation will continue:
- Refuse: Residential refuse will be collected as scheduled. Transfer stations, refuse convenience centers, H-POWER and the Waimānalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill will be open.
- Public transportation: TheBus, Skyline and TheHandi-Van will operate on their normal schedules. Riders should allow additional travel time as localized road closures, detours or delays may continue.
- Public safety: Police, fire, emergency medical services, Ocean Safety and other critical response and recovery functions will continue without interruption.
Residents are urged to continue exercising caution, particularly around flooded areas, fallen trees, downed power lines, debris and damaged infrastructure. Motorists should avoid unnecessary travel in impacted areas, obey all road closures and barricades, and give first responders, utility workers and City crews room to work.
The City anticipates resuming normal government operations on Tuesday, August 18.
—PAU—
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