August 21, 2026—Hurricane Lala erosion along K‘a‘ālaiki Road

Flooding in the Ka‘ū district during Hurricane Lala over the weekend of August 15–16 appears to have activated hydrologic drainages that only carry water during the heaviest of rains. Here, pastures along K‘a‘ālaiki Road between the towns of Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu are seen to have been scoured by ephemeral streams, stripped of vegetation down to the underlying lava rock in places. Honu‘apo Bay can be seen in the distance on the right. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.