Hurricane Lala weakens to tropical storm as Hawaii battles persistent flooding and power outages
The US National Hurricane Center reports that while the storm has downgraded, hurricane-force gusts and life-threatening mudslides remain a significant threat across the archipelago.
Hurricane Lala has weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm after passing south of Hawaii, narrowly avoiding a direct landfall on the Big Island for the first time in 155 years. Despite the downgrade, meteorologists warn that hurricane-force gusts and heavy rainfall continue to batter the islands, with flash flooding and mudslides posing ongoing risks to communities across the state.
The US National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Big Island on Saturday, noting the historical significance of the event. As the system drifted westward on Sunday, tropical storm winds moved from Maui to Oahu and Kauai. While the storm’s core edged past the primary impact zones, pounding waves continued to crash against the Big Island’s shore, bending palm trees and swelling rivers with fierce, sideways rain.
Rainfall totals remain a critical concern for emergency management. The National Hurricane Center advised that up to one metre of rain could fall on higher windward slopes, with some areas potentially receiving up to 90cm. Such torrential downpours threaten to turn rivers into turbulent floods and trigger life-threatening mudslides, particularly in vulnerable terrain.
The storm has already caused significant disruption to local infrastructure and daily life. Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green reported on Saturday evening that more than 60,000 households were without power. Three hospitals were forced to switch to generator power to maintain essential services. Additionally, at least one person died in a car accident in the South Point area of the Big Island, and 19 roofs were lost during the “enormous storm”.
Residents are experiencing the full force of the weather systems as tropical storm warnings remain active for Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Christine Matsuda, a resident of Waimea, described the intensity of the conditions to the Associated Press, noting that strong gusts were rattling houses every few minutes. Monster waves are driving coastal erosion, while severe flooding plagues communities across the US state.
Beyond immediate flooding, the westward-moving storm has raised fears among residents regarding the potential for catastrophic wildfires. The combination of heavy floods and strong winds in the Aloha State has prompted concerns that the environmental conditions could spark fires once the storm passes, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing disaster response.
