A dramatic weather post on social media has quickly ignited widespread reaction online.
Hurricane Lala tore across Hawaii, including Honolulu and Maui counties, bringing destructive conditions, widespread damage and major power outages that left thousands of residents in the dark.
AccuWeather fueled the online buzz with an X post showing a striking before-and-after look at Rainbow Falls following Hurricane Lala’s impact in Hawaii. The split-screen image featured the famed waterfall in calmer conditions on the top half, capturing the scenic beauty tourists are used to seeing.
The lower half told a very different story. Instead of the usually picturesque flow, viewers saw a powerful torrent surging over Rainbow Falls, the 80-foot Hilo landmark that draws visitors from around the world.
“Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaii, is roaring as Hurricane Lala brought torrential rain this weekend,” AccuWeather wrote in the post. The video quickly sent users into the comments, including travelers who said they had visited the popular Hawaii attraction shortly before the intense rainfall arrived.
“Holy crap! We visited Rainbow Falls last Sept. In fact Hurricane Kiko was expected to hit Honolulu [the] day we were scheduled to fly home. Luckily it turned north at the last minute,” one X user commented, sharing a photo from their trip that showed a far gentler waterfall scene.
The storm, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, first formed on August 12 and has battered parts of Hawaii, knocking out electricity for tens of thousands and damaging more than 100 homes along its path.
PowerOutage.com reported that more than 113,000 customers remained without electricity. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said repairs could take days because transmission lines are down. Authorities have also confirmed at least one death tied to the storm, involving a storm-related car crash.
According to the state, Lala is currently located “about 315 miles west-southwest of Līʻhue with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour.” The storm is now moving west at a still sweeping 12 miles per hour.
All tropical storm warnings and flood watches have been cancelled for Hawaii while Brown Water Advisories — an alert of murky water — are in effect statewide due to storm runoff. The state is urging residents to be careful of the water as runoff sweeps in pollutants like animal waste, chemicals, pesticides and overflowing sewage.
Lala may have left the city, but downed power lines and massive flooding were left in its wake and are highly dangerous to be around.
“People should use extreme caution in damaged areas as numerous safety hazards exist including dangerous debris, contamination risks and electrical hazards. HIEMA recommends you sign up for emergency alerts in your area at: ready.hawaii.gov/alerts,” the government website reads.
Hawaii Gov., Josh Green, announced that all state and county government offices and public schools are closed for today.
“City crews will continue working throughout Sunday night and Monday to assess storm damage, remove fallen trees and debris, address flooding and drainage issues, reopen roadways and facilities, and respond to other storm-related hazards,” according to a press release.
The statement said folks should anticipate resuming normal government operations on Tuesday, August 18.
