August 16, 2026 | 03:21 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hurricane Lala passed just south of Hawaii’s Big Island on Saturday without making landfall, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and the threat of flooding and mudslides.
According to DW, the storm had strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane as its center approached the southern part of the island. It had been expected to potentially make the Big Island’s first direct hurricane hit in 155 years, but the storm ultimately passed south of the island’s tip.
National Weather Service meteorologist Joseph Clark said a landfall was no longer expected.
However, hurricane-force winds were forecast to continue through Saturday night, with the strongest gusts expected at higher elevations, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Flooding and Mudslide Risks
Lala had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour) as its center moved near the southern end of the Big Island.
The NHC warned that the island could receive 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain, with some areas potentially receiving as much as 25 inches.
“This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” the NHC said, as quoted by DW.
The Big Island, officially known as Hawaii Island, is the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago by land area and has a population of about 200,000.
A hurricane warning remained in effect for the Big Island, while tropical storm warnings covered Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau.
Hawaii Declares State of Emergency
More than 40,000 utility customers across Hawaii were without power, including more than 31,000 on the Big Island, according to outage data.
The storm also brought the risk of a storm surge of 1 to 3 feet, accompanied by “large and dangerous waves,” officials said.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency and urged residents to shelter in place.
“It’s a serious storm,” Green said.
Authorities closed Hilo International Airport and said Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport would also be shut down.
Emergency shelters were opened, while residents were advised to clear drains and gutters, move valuables off the ground and prepare for potentially prolonged power outages.
Wildfire Risk Also Raises Concern
While Lala brought heavy rain to the Big Island, weather conditions outside the storm were expected to remain dry and windy, increasing the risk of wildfires, according to Vanessa Almanza, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu.
The warning is particularly significant after the 2023 Maui wildfires, when the town of Lahaina was devastated by a fast-moving blaze amid powerful winds while a hurricane passed well south of Hawaii.
Meteorologists said Lala’s arrival coincided with a powerful El Nino event, which can contribute to increased hurricane activity in the Pacific.
Hawaii has not experienced a major hurricane landfall since Hurricane Iniki struck Kauai in 1992. The storm killed six people and caused billions of dollars in damage.
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