Hawaii Faces Devastating Floods and Homes Lost to Hurricane Lala
One person died in a car accident when Hurricane Lala, a Category‑1 storm that skirted the Big Island, triggered widespread flash flooding and mudslides. Authorities report that dozens of homes were torn from their foundations in the coastal communities of Naalehu and Waiohinu.
The storm dumped up to 35 inches (89 cm) of rain in some pockets, creating torrents that poured down mountainsides and sapped power from more than 200,000 households. Three hospitals and airports were temporarily closed, with 190 flights postponed; emergency generators kept critical facilities operational.
Although Lala has weakened to a tropical storm and is moving westward, officials warn that the danger is far from over. The National Hurricane Center forecasts an additional 4 to 8 inches of rain on the Big Island and the Windward side of Maui, with total totals of 30 to 35 inches. In total, the nine islands of Hawaii remain under tropical storm warnings.
County officials have activated a search‑and‑rescue operation to locate residents whose residences were destroyed or compromised by the floods. “What makes this very challenging is that there's rushing water, debris, boulders on the road, and it's dark,” County Civil Defence Director Kimo Alameda said.
Around 180 National Guard troops are deployed to aid the response, and 219,000 customers have lost electricity. Behind the scenes, 180,000 people are within a drift of homes that could have been swept away, and the Gulf of Honolulu is under constant watch as the storm travels northwest.
The latest record for August underscores the growing frequency of intense tropical failures, a trend tied to the strong El Nino developing in the Pacific, influenced by ocean temperatures that are rising due to climate change.
