One person has died in a storm-related incident after Hurricane Lala lashed Hawaii’s Big Island with powerful winds and heavy rain.
The Category 1 hurricane continued to track past the Hawaiian Islands without making landfall, but its outer bands have brought dangerous conditions, including flooded roads and rivers spilling over their banks.
Governor Josh Green confirmed Saturday evening that at least one person was killed in a storm-related car crash in the South Point area, as officials issued a flash flood emergency for the Big Island.
The storm has knocked out power to more than 60,000 residents, torn roofs from 19 buildings and disrupted air travel, with 190 flights delayed.
‘You definitely want to be home, do not be out on the roads,’ Green said.
Hurricane Lala was moving northwest past Hawaii with sustained winds of 75 mph and was expected to approach Oahu and Kauai on Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Relentless rainfall has sent multiple waterways above flood stage, including the Wailuku River near Hilo, which rose to its sixth-highest level ever recorded.
The National Hurricane Center said the most intense rainfall has soaked windward Maui and the Big Island, where totals have reached 15 to 17 inches.
More than 60,000 residents have lost power, while 19 buildings lost their roofs and 190 flights were delayed due to Hurricane Lala
Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau as the storm moves west
Forecasters said higher elevations on the island, dominated by the towering Mauna Kea volcano, could get as much as 25in of rain.
The agency added that the heavy rainfall into Sunday could produce flooding and mudslides.
Several homes in the Ka‘ū District were swept off their foundations during Saturday night’s flash flooding, prompting a search-and-rescue effort, Big Island Now reported.
Floodwaters have cut off roads in Kaʻū, leaving homes submerged and residents stranded. National Guard vehicles and a Coast Guard helicopter were used to reach and evacuate those affected.
In a social media statement on Sunday, Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda said: ‘What makes this very challenging is that there’s rushing water, there’s debris and there’s boulders in the road and it’s dark.’
‘We’re doing everything we can that make sure our people there are safe and we’re going to keep working hard to make sure everyone is accounted for,’ Alameda added.
Earlier the governor called the hurricane an ‘enormous storm,’ capable of destructive flooding and even the possibility of wildfires kicked up by strong winds across the island chain.
Tropical storm warnings remain in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau as the storm moves west.
Powerful winds have knocked out power to nearly 70 percent of the Big Island, leaving much of the region in the storm’s grip
The Category 1 hurricane is barreling past the Hawaiian Islands without making landfall
One person is dead in a storm-related incident after Hurricane Lala swept Hawaii ’s Big Island with severe winds and rain
Earlier the governor called the hurricane an ‘enormous storm,’ capable of destructive flooding
Forecasters said higher elevations on the island, dominated by the towering Mauna Kea volcano, could get as much as 25 in of rain
Flooding caused due to heavy rain brought in by Hurricane Lala in Hawaii county
Hawaii is in the peak of its summer travel season, with roughly 250,000 vacationers visiting beaches and other tourist attraction
The Big Island is the state’s largest, with a population of about 210,000. More than one million people are spread out across the state, particularly in Honolulu, Waikiki, Kahului and Kihei
The Big Island is the state’s largest, with a population of about 210,000. More than one million people are spread out across the state, particularly in Honolulu, Waikiki, Kahului and Kihei.
Hawaii is in the peak of its summer travel season, with roughly 250,000 vacationers visiting beaches and other tourist attractions on any given day from June to mid-August.
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva warned the storm closely resembles Hurricane Hone, which brought severe flooding and dangerous winds to the island paradise in 2024.
‘Despite never making landfall in Hawaii, Hone brought more than two feet of rain to portions of the Big Island, causing significant flooding, as well as winds in excess of 70 mph,’ DaSilva said in a statement.
This is a breaking news story.
