The iconic Punalu‘u Bake Shop in Na‘alehu is among the many properties in Ka‘u severely damaged by Hurricane Lala this past weekend.

For over 30 years, the cheery yellow and turquoise building — which claims the title of the southernmost bakery in the United States — has welcomed residents and tourists alike with its famous sweet bread, fruit-flavored malasadas and other treats. It has also served as a visitor information center, community gathering place and cultural education and event space.

Now, the walls are coated in mud, doors and windows are dangling on their hinges, the patio roof has collapsed, and the parking lot is filled with rocks and other debris.

Zach Kennedy, the bake shop’s general manager, said the impact of the storm has been devastating for the bakery and the community.

“I would describe the damage to the bakery, specifically, as catastrophic,” he told the Tribune-Herald. “And to the town — it’s something I’ve never seen before.”

He said the intensity of the storm, and the severe flooding it triggered, overwhelmed all preparation efforts.

“We were as prepared as we could be. We took extra precautions, put things down,” he said. “Unfortunately, when the water breached and came down the hill, there’s no preparing for that.”

After the wind and rains had slowed, he said he had ventured out and discovered one of the bakery’s bread storage containers had been swept across the street from the building by floodwaters, but somehow remained sealed with the contents undamaged.

“We started handing out all the bread in that container,” he said. “It was still good, no water. So, it was about 20 pallets of bread given out to the community.”

As with much of Na‘alehu and the rest of the Ka‘u region, he said the full extent of the damage to the bakery will take time to fully realize and address, but he is committed to working to rebuild and support the community throughout the recovery process.

“It’s still early. We’re in the assessment phase of things,” he said. “I would like to say that we hope we can get everything cleaned up and rebuilt and bring back the jobs that we offer to the community, because we’re one of the largest employers in our district. Community is the most important thing.”

The bake shop employs over 50 people, and Kennedy said he tried to reach out to all of them after the hurricane.

“Some of them, I have managed to get through,” he said. “I tried calling every single one of them just to check on them, see if they needed anything, but a lot of them are still without service.”

In the days following the storm, he said he has received numerous messages from people who have seen photos and footage of the damage to the bakery.

“I’ve gotten emails from all around the world of people telling me how sad they are, how they want to help support us,” he said.

While he said he appreciates the offers to help the bake shop, he is urging people to instead direct their resources toward filling the needs of affected residents.

“At this point in time, I would say that for us as a business, we don’t need anything — focus on the community,” he said. “Focus on maybe donating to the Red Cross or any other organization that is actually assisting in humanitarian aid and helping people eat.”

The storm, which knocked out power, water access and cell service throughout the region, also damaged the only roads in and out of Na‘alehu and the neighboring towns of Pahala and Wai‘ohinu, limiting access to food, drinking water and other supplies.

While county and state crews and Hawaii National Guard troops have been working to remove debris and make repairs, Kennedy said residents have also stepped up and banded together to take a leading role in the recovery process.

“The community has really come together, honestly,” he said. “I see people who weren’t representatives of the government actually bringing their own equipment out to help clear the roads and make the situation safer.”

With clean-up and damage-assessment efforts in the early stages, he said he is asking visitors to give the community space to rebuild and recover.

“I’ve noticed a lot of people who aren’t from the community, and they’re coming into the area, and it’s kind of causing traffic to build up a little bit,” he said. “And I think it would be awesome if they gave the community a little bit of time to get the roads restored. That would be ideal.”

Email Grace Inez Adams at grace.adams@hawaiitribune-herald.com.