Tropical Storm Lala Batters Hawaii With Heavy Rain and Flash Floods
Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday after its eyewall skirted Hawaii without making landfall, leaving more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power, according to reports from the Associated Press and ABC News. The storm brought torrential downpours reaching nearly three feet in places, destructive winds, and severe flash flooding that swept multiple homes off their foundations.
Destructive Rainfall and Infrastructure Damage Across the Big Island
The storm’s path brought immense pressure to local infrastructure, particularly across the Big Island where the storm’s eyewall brushed past South Point. According to ABC News, some higher-altitude locations near the Mauna Kea volcano recorded up to 35 inches of rain. This massive accumulation loosened steep slopes where many residents live off the grid.
Search-and-rescue teams involving Civil Defense, the National Guard, and a Coast Guard helicopter deployed after flash floods swept several occupied homes off their foundations in the coastal communities of Na’alehu and Wai’ohinu. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda described the rescue environment to ABC News, noting that rushing water, debris, and boulders on dark roads created severe operational hurdles.
Governor Josh Green confirmed that at least one person died in a vehicle wreck in the South Point area of the Big Island as conditions deteriorated on Saturday. Power outages affected nearly two-thirds of customers on the Big Island, with at least three hospitals forced to operate on emergency generator power.
Impact on Honolulu and the Wider Hawaiian Island Chain
As tropical storm conditions tracked westward, Honolulu bore the brunt of Sunday morning’s severe weather. The Honolulu Fire Department logged dozens of emergency responses by early Sunday, including 58 reports of downed trees, 39 blown roofs, 12 downed power lines, 12 arcing-wire incidents, and one swimmer rescue, according to city statements covered by ABC News.
Tropical storm warnings remained active across Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Meteorological updates from National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Parker indicated that the highest winds reached gusts over 100 mph at Mauna Kea, while heavy bands of rain lashed Lanai, Moloka’i, and Oahu.
Addressing the ongoing dangers of active flooding, mudslides, and downed power lines, Parker advised residents to remain indoors until hazards are cleared.
Current Trajectory and Long-Term Outlook
By 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that Lala was centered approximately 140 miles west of Honolulu, carrying top sustained winds of 65 mph. Moving west-northwest at roughly 16 mph, forecasters project little change in intensity through Monday, with potential re-intensification into a hurricane by Tuesday or Wednesday as the system tracks further west of the island chain.
The storm struck three years to the month after the state experienced the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century, heightening local anxiety.