Hawaiian Electric is bringing in additional crews to help restore power after Tropical Storm Lala caused widespread outages across Hawaiʻi.

More than 100,000 customers were without electricity at various points following the storm, with major damage reported on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Oʻahu. Hawaiian Electric has been working through downed trees, damaged lines, flooding and difficult terrain as crews assess the damage and begin repairs.

The scale of the damage has pushed the utility to seek additional restoration resources, with mainland utility workers joining the recovery effort.

A Major Restoration Effort

Lala caused widespread damage to Hawaiʻi's electrical system, affecting homes and businesses across the state.

Hawaiian Electric serves about 95% of Hawaiʻi's population, but the state's island-based power grids create a unique challenge. Hawaiʻi cannot simply draw electricity from a neighboring state when a major storm knocks out power.

Some of the hardest-hit areas are also difficult for crews to reach, adding another layer to the restoration effort.

Hawaiian Electric has not provided a single statewide restoration timeline because the damage varies by location. Crews are assessing individual circuits and infrastructure as they work to bring customers back online.

What It Means for Business

For Hawaiʻi businesses, Lala's impact goes beyond the number of customers without power. Some companies are dealing with physical damage, while others are facing closures, lost sales and uncertain recovery timelines.

In Makawao, Maui, Haku Maui, a local lei shop and community gathering space suffered major structural damage after a large rainbow eucalyptus tree fell onto the property. Portions of the buildings collapsed, damaging areas including storage and refrigeration. The business is temporarily closed while the owners figure out how to rebuild.

On Hawaiʻi Island, Punaluʻu Bake Shop also suffered severe storm damage. The longtime bakery in Nā‘ālehu was hit by flooding, with damage to the property forcing the business to deal with repairs and interruptions to normal operations.

Those examples show how quickly a storm can become a business problem. For some companies, the challenge is repairing a building or replacing equipment. For others, it's simply getting back to regular operations.

And the damage isn't limited to businesses with trees through their roofs. A power outage can turn into lost business quickly, especially for restaurants, retailers and other small operators that depend on daily sales. A few days of downtime can be difficult to make up, particularly when repairs and other storm-related costs are piling up at the same time.

The Bigger Picture

The response to Lala is also a reminder of how vulnerable Hawaiʻi's infrastructure can be when a major storm hits.

For Hawaiian Electric, the immediate priority is restoring electricity safely and bringing in enough crews and equipment to handle the damage across multiple islands.

For businesses, recovery will depend on more than simply getting the lights back on. Roads need to reopen, employees need to be able to return, deliveries need to resume and damaged properties need to be safe for customers and workers.

Some businesses may be able to reopen soon after power is restored. Others could be dealing with the effects of Lala for weeks or longer.

For Hawaiʻi's business community, the storm is another reminder that when the islands' infrastructure takes a hit, the economic effects can quickly follow.