Tropical Storm Lala impacted Hawaii after weakening from hurricane status on Sunday, bringing intense rainfall, flash flooding, and damaging winds across the state’s main islands. The storm caused one confirmed fatality—a 90-year-old woman from Naalehu who was found dead on Monday—and forced the closure of public schools statewide, private schools, and state offices in response to hazardous conditions.
The southern portions of the Big Island experienced the most severe impacts, with communities including Naalehu, Pahala, and Waiohinu becoming isolated due to debris-blocked roads and compromised communication infrastructure. Floodwaters and accompanying mud caused substantial damage throughout the region, with some grave sites disturbed by the water. State Representative Jeanné Kapela, whose district covers the affected Kau area, described the region as being “in shambles,” noting that approximately 100 homes were swept from their foundations. The storm’s impact on two cemeteries in Naalehu included dispersal of Native Hawaiian ancestral remains, prompting officials to cordon off those areas.
Meteorological data showed significant variation in storm intensity across the islands. Laupahoehoe on the northeast coast recorded the highest rainfall at 43.54 inches, while Mauna Kea volcano experienced the strongest winds with gusts reaching 140 mph. At lower elevations across the island chain, residents faced tropical storm force winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. The Hawaiian Electric utility reported nearly 104,000 customers without power as of Monday afternoon, attributing outages to downed trees, utility poles, and damaged transmission towers, with the Big Island’s power system sustaining extensive damage.
Emergency services were temporarily disrupted when the 911 system went offline on the Big Island due to radio and telephone communication failures caused by storm impacts, though service was restored by afternoon. Governor Josh Green toured affected areas and stated that recovery efforts would proceed “somewhat briskly,” expressing optimism that affected communities would become accessible within days rather than weeks. Federal officials pledged support for recovery, with U.S. Senator Brian Schatz urging Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to approve emergency funding for debris removal and road repairs. The National Weather Service indicated that while landslide risks persisted due to rainfall saturation, immediate hazards had diminished as the storm moved westward over open ocean.
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