Hurricane Lala lashes Hawaii, leaves more than 42,000 without power

Hurricane Lala battered Hawaii’s Big Island with powerful winds and torrential rain on Saturday (August 15), knocking out power to more than 42,000 customers and prompting warnings of potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides.

As of 2:14pm (local time), about 42,889 customers across the state were without electricity, including nearly 32,000 on the Big Island and more than 7,200 in Maui County, according to utility data.

Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph (120 km/h) as it approached Hawaii. Although the storm skirted the southern part of the Big Island rather than making a direct landfall, its powerful winds and heavy rain continued to affect the region.

The National Hurricane Center warned of severe rainfall, forecasting 10 to 20 inches across parts of the Big Island, with isolated totals reaching 25 inches. Heavy rain was also expected across Maui, raising the risk of flash flooding and mudslides, particularly in mountainous areas.

The storm also disrupted transportation and infrastructure. Airports in Hilo and Kona were closed, while commercial ports across several islands were affected. Hawaiian Electric warned that some outages could persist, with fallen trees damaging transmission lines along the Hamakua Coast.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green had declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, allowing authorities to mobilize resources and protect critical infrastructure. Officials urged residents to remain indoors and prepare for prolonged power outages and hazardous conditions.

Lala was expected to weaken as it moved westward, but authorities warned that dangerous winds, heavy rainfall, flooding and mudslides could continue across Hawaii through Sunday.