Flooding rain and strong winds are continuing to move through Hawaii after Hurricane Lala passed by the islands overnight, before weakening slightly Sunday morning to a tropical storm with 65 mph sustained winds and heavy rain.
More than 200,000 customers are without power across the islands, and nearly 70% of the Big Island is without power. Hurricane-force wind gusts were reported in Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties, with the mountainous island terrain amplifying winds at higher elevations.
At least 100 homes were damaged and lost in the storm, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said during a Sunday news conference.
The island of Oahu, including the state’s capital Honolulu, is under a flash flood warning Sunday afternoon, after the Big Island saw flash flooding Saturday night.
“Several occupied homes may have been swept off their foundations, and based on that, civil defense has initiated a search and rescue mission,” Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said overnight.
Lala has started to pull away from the islands Sunday afternoon, but heavy rain is expected to continue throughout the day across the island chain.
Green on Saturday evening attributed a car accident to the storm but said Sunday it wasn’t clear whether it was connected to Lala.
In a video update Saturday night, Hawaii County’s Acting Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliviera said occupants of a vehicle stuck in floodwaters were being rescued, though he did not provide further details.
Lala, which strengthened to a Category 1 storm Saturday, made its closest approach to Hawaii’s Big Island at around 5 p.m. local time, with its eyewall brushing the southern portion from roughly 30 miles away, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Videos obtained by CNN show streets flooded by torrential rainfall on the Big Island, which got over 30 inches of rain. More than 190 flights in and out of Hawaii have been postponed, Green said.
Floodwaters rush across road on Hawaii’s Big Island
Emergency responders are expected to be busy dealing with urgent matters for 36 hours as the storm passes Hawaii, with damage assessment expected to begin on Monday, the governor said.
A record number of road closures and prolonged power outages had been reported, according to Mayor Alameda.
As Lala moves west, its most serious threat is its torrential rain, which could also spur additional flash flooding across the other Hawaiian Islands. The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain.
Up to 6 inches of additional rain is expected in parts of Kauai, where tropical storm warnings are in effect. Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu and Kahoolawe are also under a tropical storm warning.
Waves could reach 8 to 12 feet, particularly on east-facing shores where a high surf advisory is in effect.
Landfalls — when the center of the eye moves over land — on the Hawaiian islands have happened only a handful of times in the modern record. The last tropical system to make landfall was Tropical Storm Olivia in 2018, which came ashore on Maui, the island’s first landfall since recordkeeping began in the 1950s.
The last landfalling hurricane was in 1992 when Category 4 Iniki hit Kauai, becoming the strongest storm to directly strike the state on record.
Across Hawaii, residents evacuated to designated shelters and scoured packed grocery stores as officials across several counties announced closures and prepared for potential landfall.
In Hilo, grocery stores and gas stations were busy as people stocked up on essentials, CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now reported. Hawaii County was also offering sandbags for residents around the island. Around 130 people had fled to shelters Saturday, according to the mayor.
“You got to take all the necessary precautions, right? So it’s batteries. It’s get your emergency kit, inform your neighbors, the kupuna (elders),” Mayor Alameda said earlier in the day. “Make sure that everybody’s safe because our island’s big and we have small communities and we’re very connected.”
Many roads in Hawaii County are closed due to downed trees and utility lines and landslides, according to the County of Hawaii Mayor’s Office.
“While road crews are working hard to clear debris as conditions allow, we need all residents and visitors to heed all warnings, move into safe shelter, and stay off the roadways,” Alameda said.
County officials and the National Guard had also been discussing placing resources ahead of time in areas hard-hit by storms earlier this year, according to Hawaii News Now.
And in Oahu, officials opened eight hurricane refuge areas as public facilities like the Honolulu Zoo shuttered.
Officials urged residents to be cautious as the hurricane approached.
“We also need our community to do its part by securing property, checking emergency supplies, staying informed, and avoiding unnecessary travel and outdoor activities as conditions deteriorate,” Kauai Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said.
Tropical storms approaching Hawaii typically hit cooler ocean temperatures before reaching the islands, but Lala will remain over warmer waters due to an ongoing marine heatwave that extends to California and a developing Super El Niño.
El Niño is helping fuel increased storm potential in the central Pacific this year with warmer ocean temperatures and weaker winds in the upper atmosphere, which can normally break up storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast an above-average central Pacific season, with five to 13 cyclones expected.
This story has been updated with additional information.
