Tropical Storm Lala moved westward from Hawaii on Monday, leaving behind significant damage due to heavy rainfall over the weekend. The small community of Waiohinu on Hawaii’s Big Island was particularly affected. A mudslide destroyed around a dozen homes, adding to the chaos.
Resident Alice Birnbaum described the scene, saying, “The boulders that were coming down were so heavy they were like shaking the ground.” She noted that the news crew was the first contact from outside the community since the storm swept through. Residents are now in urgent need of resources like water, propane, gas, and food.
Hawaii has not experienced a direct hurricane landfall since Hurricane Iniki in 1992. However, Hurricane Lala passed within 30 miles of the Big Island’s coast, bringing strong wind gusts over 80 mph and heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving over 3 feet of rain. Kapalua in Maui County recorded a staggering 48 inches of rain over the weekend.
As of Monday, more than 100,000 customers in the Hawaiian Islands were without power, according to poweroutage.us. The storm washed away bridges on the Big Island and left several communities isolated. Waiohinu residents have relied on each other for support, as emergency services have been unable to reach them. One resident told CBS News about a family, including a young child, who narrowly escaped their home before it was swept away.
Statewide, all Hawaii state and county offices, Department of Education schools, public charter schools, courts, and judiciary offices were closed on Monday. Despite weakening to a tropical storm, Lala is projected to regain strength as it moves across the Pacific and may become a hurricane again by late Tuesday. As of Monday night, maximum sustained winds reached 65 mph, slightly increasing from earlier in the day.