Hurricane Lala leaves hundreds of thousands without power and triggers evacuations in Hawaii

Hurricane Lala brought heavy rain and strong winds to Hawaii over the weekend, damaging homes, bridges and the electrical grid. The storm, which passed south of the Big Island as a Category 1 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm, left more than 250,000 customers without electricity on Hawaii Island, Maui and Oahu, according to Hawaiian Electric. The utility warned that power could remain out for weeks or months in some remote parts of the Big Island.

Governor Josh Green described Lala as an “enormous storm” and said rainfall could reach 30-40 inches in parts of the Big Island. At least 100 homes and multiple bridges were reported damaged, and nineteen roofs were lost. Floodwaters swept at least two homes off their foundations in the southern coastal communities of Naalehu and Waiohinu, prompting a multi-agency search and rescue operation led by County Mayor Kimo Alameda.

On Oahu, rising water levels forced first responders to launch a rescue mission in the Waikane Valley and Waiahole areas, while three residents were treated for injuries after falling from roofs. A car crash near the Big Island’s southern tip resulted in one fatality and one injury, though officials have not confirmed a direct link to the storm.

Haleakala National Park on Maui reported that fallen trees blocked the only access road, trapping staff inside; all workers were reported safe. The National Weather Service warned that additional rain could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain, with 2-6 inches expected on Oahu, Molokai and Lanai and up to 3 inches on the Big Island and Maui.

Officials urged residents to conserve energy until 10 p.m. on Sunday as crews began damage assessments. Tropical-storm-force winds of over 39 mph were forecast to persist through Sunday evening, with localized gusts intensified by the islands’ mountainous terrain.

The storm was fueled by unusually warm ocean waters linked to climate change and developed amid a strong El Niño pattern that increases Pacific hurricane activity. While Lala is expected to move away from the islands on Monday, the region remains vulnerable to further tropical cyclones and flood-related impacts through the fall.