Tropical Storm Lala began bringing heavy rain and damaging winds to Hawaii’s Big Island on Saturday as the system approached the state. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen and potentially reach hurricane status over the weekend, bringing severe flooding, mudslides, and dangerous coastal surf.
The National Hurricane Center issued a rare hurricane warning for the Big Island, along with tropical storm warnings for Maui County, Oahu, and Kauai County. As of Saturday morning, Lala was located about 100 miles southeast of South Point, the southernmost tip of the Big Island, and 315 miles southeast of Honolulu. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving west-northwest at 13 mph. A tropical system becomes a hurricane when sustained winds reach 74 mph.
Forecasters project the center of Lala to pass near the Big Island on Saturday before tracking south of the smaller islands on Sunday. The hurricane center warned that the storm could exhibit erratic movement and noted that winds will be significantly stronger across higher terrain and mountain slopes.
State and local officials have warned residents and visitors across the island chain to prepare for dangerous conditions.
“This is a very serious storm,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said during a Friday evening briefing. “We have not had a hurricane make landfall in quite some time. So none of us really have experienced this really in, you know, the last couple of decades.”
Green added that the state anticipates “an incredible amount of water” and noted the risks of widespread power outages, coastal erosion, and high surf. “We’re hoping that it’s going to be sufficiently far south that we just get the periphery of the storm, but, no promises, we’ve seen storms turn,” he said.
Rainfall totals are forecast to reach 8 to 12 inches across Maui and the Big Island, with isolated areas on the Big Island potentially seeing up to 25 inches. The remaining islands could receive between 4 and 8 inches of rain. Forecasters also warned of storm surge up to 3 feet along coastal areas.
In preparation for the storm, Governor Green declared a state of emergency on Thursday to free up disaster relief resources and direct state agencies to assist in response efforts. The Hawaii National Guard is on standby, and state crews have been clearing streams to help reduce flooding risks.
Most areas of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park were closed Friday afternoon ahead of the storm. The Hawaii Department of Education canceled all school-sponsored weekend activities, with decisions on Monday school schedules pending.
The last hurricane to make landfall in the state was Hurricane Iniki in 1992, a Category 4 storm that resulted in six deaths and approximately $3 billion in damage.
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