Hawaii residents trapped after Lala washes away Maui bridge

NAHIKU, Maui, HI. (NBC, KYMA) - Hurricane Lala dumped up to four feet of rain on Maui over the weekend. The violent storm washed away a bridge on the island, trapping residents on the other side.

Now, they are pleading with state officials to repair the structure to restore access to food, water and supplies.

The powerful floodwaters ripped through properties and washed away their only way out.

Nahiku residents say the county maintained the wooden bridge for decades but over the years, it started to deteriorate and nothing was done.

So in 2019, residents were forced to fix it themselves.

"Over time, they've proven to not care about the few residents on this side. If this was in Kihei, it would have been fixed real quick, but out here, it's not enough voters to really have financial gain for the powers to help us out," said one Nahiku resident, Russell Stoner.

In the meantime, Nahiku residents hope the county will provide a temporary bridge, so Kupuna can at least get out.