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Hurricane Lala Rips Roof Off Hawaii Home as Family Escapes With Their Dogs
A Hawaii couple is facing a long road to recovery after Hurricane Lala ripped the roof off their Ocean View home.
Joe Ashley and his longtime girlfriend, Merwelle Branch, captured the frightening moment on camera as the roof was torn from their home during the storm.
Ashley described watching the roof lift and move "like a wave, like a barrel and a surfer."
"It was literally popping up and down and, and just like the house was breathing," Ashley said.
As the roof ripped away, the couple scrambled to escape to a nearby friend's home. They also worked to make sure their dogs made it out safely.
Shards from their roof pierced a neighbor's home, but Ashley, Branch and their dogs escaped without injuries.
"Everyone of us walked out, even the dogs without a scratch," Ashley said. "We're grateful for that. I mean it could have been much worse."
The home suffered extensive damage and is considered a near-total loss.
Ashley said he is also concerned about communities that suffered even greater losses during the storm, including people who died in Na'alehu.
Ashley also owns a coffee farm in Upper Pahala. He visited the farm Wednesday for the first time since the storm to assess the damage and said he was grateful that his crops and loved ones survived.
For now, the couple is staying with a friend while dealing with insurance and beginning the difficult process of rebuilding.
A GoFundMe has also been established to help the couple pay for repairs.
Dillon Ancheta reporting.
By: NBC Palm Springs
August 20, 2026
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