RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 27 sourcesHawaii’s Big Island faced the threat of its first possible direct hurricane hit in 155 years on Saturday as Hurricane Lala strengthened into a Category 1 storm, bringing powerful winds, heavy rain and dangerous surf to the region.The National Hurricane Centre said Lala’s maximum sustained winds had reached 120 kmph.The storm’s centre was forecast to move over or very close to the southern end of the Big Island by Saturday evening, with forecasters warning of life-threatening flooding and mudslides.The Big Island, home to about 210,000 people, was under a hurricane warning, while tropical storm warnings were issued for Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau.Heavy rain, flooding and power outages raise concernsRainfall was already falling heavily across parts of Hawaii as Lala approached. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said rainfall had reached about 5 cm an hour and urged residents to shelter in place.Forecasters warned that higher elevations of the Big Island could receive as much as 63.5 cm of rain, raising the risk of dangerous mudslides in the island’s mountainous terrain.The National Hurricane Centre forecast 25.4 to 51 cm of rain for the Big Island, with isolated totals potentially reaching 63.5 cm, according to Reuters.The storm also disrupted electricity supplies. More than 40,000 utility customers across Hawaii were without power, Reuters reported, citing poweroutage.com. On the Big Island alone, more than 31,000 customers were without electricity.Hawaiian Electric warned of possible extended outages, potentially lasting overnight. Fallen trees had also damaged power infrastructure along a 67.6-km stretch of transmission lines on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island.The Hawaii Department of Transportation closed Hilo International Airport and said it would also close Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole. Commercial ports on Hawaii Island, Maui County and Kauai were also closed.The storm was also producing powerful winds at higher elevations. The Maunakea Weather Centre recorded gusts exceeding 100 mph, or about 161 kmph, on the Big Island’s highest peak.Residents brace for a potentially destructive stormThe threat has prompted residents to prepare for flooding, falling trees and extended power cuts.Bobby Camara, a 75-year-old lifelong Big Island resident, said he planned to “hunker down, cross my fingers, hope the lights don't go out” at a care home near Hilo. He said residents had been stocking up on fuel and other supplies.“I think stocking up is part of life over here... You learn to be self-reliant,” Camara said, as cited by news agency AP.Mike Caputo, a local fire captain who lives near Keaau, said his generator was ready and his 10,000-gallon water tank was full. He said flash flooding and fallen trees were among the biggest concerns.“It doesn't take landfall to create destruction,” National Weather Service meteorologist Vanessa Almanza said.The potential threat is particularly significant because a Category 3 hurricane struck the northeastern corner of the Big Island in 1871, according to research by a University of Hawaii atmospheric scientist. Lala’s latest forecast had it passing “very close to the southern tip of the Big Island”, Almanza said.The storm also raised concerns about wildfires in parts of Hawaii outside its immediate path. Strong, dry winds can increase fire risks, a concern heightened by the devastating 2023 Lahaina wildfire, which occurred as a hurricane passed south of Maui.Hurricane Lala’s approach comes as Hawaii continues to deal with the effects of earlier severe flooding. Officials have opened shelters and cancelled events, while ranchers have been advised to leave cattle in open pastures rather than potentially vulnerable structures.The National Hurricane Centre warned that Lala’s rainfall could produce “life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain”.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
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