Active Storm · Tropical Storm Lala

The ridge takes a storm differently.

Kunia Loa sits on exposed ground with unpaved access roads, steep slopes and open ag land. Wind hits harder up here, our roads wash out, and a crop still in the ground when the rain arrives is usually a total loss.

Here is what Lala is expected to do to O‘ahu, what to do on your lot before it lands, who to call, and where farmers get disaster help afterward.

Emergency · Call 911 Farm prep checklist Who to call Farmer disaster aid

Built from National Weather Service Honolulu and Central Pacific Hurricane Center advisories and the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency briefing on Tropical Storm Lala. Conditions change every few hours. Confirm with the official links below before you act.

The forecast

What Lala is expected to do

Lala is tracking west-northwest and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it reaches Hawai‘i Island, then pass south of the rest of the chain. Hawai‘i Island is under a Hurricane Warning. O‘ahu is in the watch and warning area for tropical storm conditions, and a Flood Watch covers the islands.

Sat PMO‘ahu impact begins

4 to 8 inRain forecast, O‘ahu

39+ mphTropical storm winds

SundayConditions persist

The ridge detail that matters most. The National Hurricane Center states that wind speeds on ridge tops and windward slopes are often up to 30 percent stronger than the numbers quoted in the advisory, and in some elevated spots stronger still. A 45 mph advisory wind can mean 60 mph gusts across our lots. Build your prep around the higher number, not the headline number.

Rainfall and flooding

The National Hurricane Center forecasts 4 to 6 inches across the western islands with maximum amounts near 8 inches. The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency briefing warned of 5 to 10 inches widespread statewide with up to 20 inches in localized areas.

Either way, our red dirt does not absorb it. Expect sheet flow across open ground, gullying on the access roads, culverts choking on debris, and saturated slopes that can slide.

Wind

Tropical storm force winds extend a long way from Lala’s center, which is why O‘ahu is in the picture even though the center passes south of us. Sustained winds over 39 mph are the threshold, with higher gusts.

On a farm the wind damage is rarely the building. It is shade cloth acting as a sail, greenhouse poly peeling, banana and papaya snapping at the crown, and unsecured water tanks rolling.

How the weekend runs

Friday
Last clear window. Harvest, secure structures, move equipment, top off fuel and water. Do the work now, not tomorrow afternoon.
Saturday morning
Workable but deteriorating. Finish anything outdoors early. Last chance to move livestock and vehicles to high ground.
Saturday afternoon and evening Peak risk
O‘ahu impact begins. Rain and wind arrive. Stay off the ridge road. Do not attempt to reach your lot.
Sunday Peak risk
Rain, wind and runoff continue for many hours after onset. Flash flooding and landslide risk is highest on already saturated ground.
Monday
Conditions ease. Assess and photograph before you clean up anything. Roads may still be washed out.

Before it lands

Farm prep checklist

A house has a roof and four walls. A farm has a hundred things that catch wind and a hundred more that float. Work through this in order of what you cannot replace.

Crops

Harvest anything close to ready. A marketable crop left in the ground through this is usually a write-off. Early and small beats none.
Prop, stake or guy banana and papaya. If a plant is already leaning and heavy with fruit, cut it back rather than lose the whole stool.
Clear the drainage lines and swales around your beds so water leaves instead of ponding.
Lift nursery trays, pots and seedlings off the ground and out of the flow path.
Pull row cover and low tunnels. They will shred and end up in someone else’s field.

Structures

Take shade cloth down or cut it loose. Shade cloth is the single most common wind loss up here. It acts as a sail and takes the frame with it.
Roll up greenhouse side walls or remove the poly. A sealed house with a gap becomes a balloon.
Close and brace hoop house end walls, or open both ends fully so wind passes through. The worst case is one end open.
Check every guy wire, ground anchor and purlin clamp. Add strap where you can.
Secure sheds, container doors, roofing offcuts and loose corrugated iron. Loose metal is the dangerous debris.

Water, fuel and equipment

Fill your water tanks. Full tanks resist wind, and you will want the water if the line or the pump goes down.
Strap or anchor tanks and totes. An empty IBC tote travels a long way in 50 mph wind.
Shut off and unplug irrigation pumps and controllers. Surges and wet panels destroy them.
Move tractors, mowers, ATVs and trailers to the highest firm ground you have and away from trees.
Fuel drums, propane, herbicide, fertilizer and diesel go above the flood line and get sealed. Contaminated runoff becomes everyone’s problem downslope.
Top off vehicle fuel and charge every battery, radio and power bank Friday.

Livestock

Move animals off low ground and out of gullies before Saturday morning. Do not wait until water is moving.
Secure coops and hutches, or bring birds into a solid structure.
Put out several days of feed and clean water in sealed containers. Assume you cannot reach the lot on Sunday.
Mark or tag animals so they can be identified if fencing fails and they scatter.
Photograph your herd or flock now. Livestock loss claims need a documented before.

Photograph your whole farm before the storm. Walk the lot Friday with your phone. Video every structure, every planting, your equipment and your animals. Say the date out loud on the recording. This ten minute job is what makes a USDA or insurance claim work later, and it is the step people skip every single time.

Staying informed

How to keep getting alerts

If power and cell service go down on the ridge, radio is how official warnings still reach you. Have a battery or hand crank radio and spare batteries before Saturday.

NOAA Weather Radio

162.550 MHz from Mt. Ka‘ala (station KBA99), and 162.450 MHz from Hawai‘i Kai (WWF39). Continuous National Weather Service forecasts and warnings for O‘ahu, around the clock.

Recorded NWS watches and warnings by phone: (808) 973-4380. Works on a landline or a cell when data is down.

Emergency broadcast radio

KSSK 92.3 FM / 590 AM is the primary Emergency Alert System station for O‘ahu. KRTR 96.3 FM and KNDI 1210 AM also carry civil defense messages.

These stations carry evacuation orders, road closures and shelter openings when nothing else is working.

Phone alerts

Turn on Wireless Emergency Alerts under Settings, Notifications, Government or Emergency Alerts. No app required.

KLRF member SMS

KLRF sends SMS alerts to registered members for weather emergencies, road closures and safety threats on the property.

Not receiving them? Call (808) 646-2936 to register your number.

In an emergency

Who to call

Do not drive the ridge road in moving water

Our access roads are unpaved and cut into slope. Running water hides washouts that swallow a truck, and a saturated cut bank can slide without warning. Six inches of moving water takes a vehicle off the road. If you are unsure, stay put and call. Turn around, don’t drown.

Police, Fire, AmbulanceActive danger, injury, fire, rescue, rising water around you or your animals911

Kunia Loa Ridge FarmlandsCommon road damage, drainage on association land, SMS registration(808) 646-2936

Honolulu Police, non-emergencyDowned trees blocking access, non-urgent hazards(808) 529-3111

Hawaiian Electric outagesOutages and downed lines. Stay far back and assume any line is live(855) 304-1212

Board of Water SupplyMain breaks and water emergencies, 24 hours(808) 526-0066

O‘ahu Dept. of Emergency ManagementShelter status, county emergency information(808) 723-8960

Hawai‘i Emergency Management AgencyStatewide emergency management(808) 733-4300

Aloha United Way 211Housing, shelter referrals, food assistance, 24 hours2-1-1

Shelter openings and closures change quickly. Confirm before you travel: live O‘ahu shelter dashboard · Honolulu Dept. of Emergency Management

After the storm

Disaster help for farmers

These are the programs built specifically for agricultural loss. Most have short reporting deadlines that start running the day the damage happens, so read the timing carefully.

Still open from the March Kona Low storms. USDA extended the Emergency Conservation Program application deadline for Honolulu County to September 29, 2026. ECP cost-shares restoring damaged farmland, replacing fencing and removing debris, paying up to 75 percent of the approved restoration cost with a maximum of $500,000 per disaster event. USDA states that a verifiable lease is the cornerstone of eligibility, so bring your lease or proof of ownership, photos of the damage, and a worklog of anything already done. If you took damage in March and never applied, or you inquired but never submitted documents, you still can. Call the Honolulu County FSA Office at (808) 861-8538 to schedule an appointment.

Report your damage first

Agriculture Stewardship Hawai‘i damage portal

Reporting your losses is how the state and federal government measure the true scale of agricultural damage. Every farm that reports strengthens the case for a disaster declaration and for funding that reaches all of us.

Report damage

USDA Farm Service Agency, Honolulu County

Call FSA as soon as you have damage. Reporting deadlines are tight: generally within 15 days of the loss becoming apparent for crop programs, and 30 days for livestock loss. Do not wait for a declaration.

Honolulu County: (808) 861-8538 ext. 2
Hawai‘i and Pacific Basin State Office: (808) 541-2600
fsa.usda.gov Hawai‘i

Programs to ask about

Program	What it covers	Where
Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)	Cost-share and technical help to restore damaged farmland, rebuild fencing, and remove debris from feed, water and feeding areas. Up to 75 percent of approved cost.Honolulu County open to Sept 29, 2026	FSA Honolulu County (808) 861-8538
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)	Payment for livestock deaths above normal mortality caused by an eligible weather event, and for injured animals sold at a reduced price.Report within 30 days	FSA Honolulu County
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance (NAP)	Covers crops that do not have federal crop insurance available. You must already be enrolled for the crop year.Report within 15 days	FSA Honolulu County
FSA Emergency Loans	Low interest loans for producers in a declared disaster area with at least 30 percent production loss or major physical damage.	FSA Honolulu County
Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)	Cost-share to restore nonindustrial private forestland damaged by a qualifying natural disaster. Approved for Honolulu County in 2026.	FSA Honolulu County
NRCS conservation and watershed assistance	Technical and financial help planning and rebuilding conservation practices after a disaster, including erosion control and watershed threats.	NRCS Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands
Emergency Agricultural Loan, State of Hawai‘i	Low interest state loans for farmers and ranchers rebuilding after disaster. Prior rounds ran up to $100,000 at 3 percent.	DAB Agricultural Loan Division (808) 973-9460
Emergency Farmer Relief, State of Hawai‘i	Direct relief grants for farms, ranches and ag businesses when the state authorizes a round. A General Excise Tax license is normally required.	DAB (808) 586-0034 dab.efr@hawaii.gov
Hawai‘i Farm Bureau	Farmer relief fund activity, program deadlines, and disaster guidance aimed at Hawai‘i producers.	hfbf.org
SBA disaster loans	Available to homeowners, renters and businesses once a federal disaster declaration is issued.Usually 30 to 60 days after declaration	sba.gov

Before you clean up

Photograph and video everything with the date. Wide shots and close ups.
Write down dead or lost livestock, damaged structures, and acres or beds affected while it is fresh.
Keep every receipt for repairs, replacement plants, feed and hired help.
Call FSA and your insurer before you demolish or bury anything.

Adjusters and program staff need to see the damage or credible evidence of it. Cleaning up first is the most expensive mistake a farmer makes after a storm.

Food safety after flooding

Produce that has contacted floodwater is considered adulterated and cannot be sold. Do not harvest from flooded beds.
Floodwater carries sewage, fuel, pesticides and pathogens. Wear boots and gloves for cleanup, and wash up before eating.
Let flooded ground rest before replanting, and note the affected areas in your records.
Mold takes hold within 24 to 48 hours in packing sheds and storage. Dry and ventilate early.

Questions on flooded produce and cleanup: Hawai‘i Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

Go to the source

Official sources

Bookmark these. They update long before this page can.

National Weather Service Honolulu

Live watches, warnings and advisories by island, radar and forecast discussion.
weather.gov/hfo · Watches and warnings by island

Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency

The state’s official Tropical Storm Lala page: island timing, shelters, radio stations and county guidance.
dod.hawaii.gov/hiema

Central Pacific Hurricane Center

Forecast cone, arrival time of winds, and the full public advisory text, updated at 5 and 11, morning and evening.
nhc.noaa.gov Central Pacific

City and County of Honolulu

Register for emergency texts and check shelter status before you travel.
Register for HNL Alert · Live O‘ahu shelter dashboard

Kunia Loa Ridge Farmlands shares this page so members have one place to look during a storm. It does not replace official guidance. If emergency officials tell you to evacuate, go.

Questions about this page: (808) 646-2936. Storm conditions change rapidly. Confirm with weather.gov/hfo and HNL Alert before acting.

Also see: KLRF Rain Damage Resources and Aid and Support from the March 2026 Kona Low storms.

Storm Alert: Tropical Storm Lala