Hawaii's Big Island was under threat Saturday with its first possible direct hit from a hurricane in 155 years as Hurricane Lala roared in the Pacific Ocean, bringing gusty winds, heavy waves, and rain. The storm's center was forecast to move over or near the island’s southern end by Saturday evening, lashing its worst winds at volcanic slopes thousands of feet above sea level.
The National Hurricane Center reported that Lala's maximum sustained winds increased to 75 mph (120 kph), officially making it a Category 1 hurricane. Whitecap surf slammed ashore nonstop, howling winds whipped the tops of palm trees, and waterways swelled with fast-moving runoff from relentless rain that blew nearly sideways.
Governor Josh Green, noting rainfall of 2 inches (5 centimeters) an hour, urged residents, stating, “people should be sheltering in place now.” Forecasters predicted higher elevations on the island, dominated by the towering Mauna Kea volcano, could receive as much as 25 inches (63.5 centimeters) of rain. This raised concerns about life-threatening mudslides in a mountainous area where some people live off the grid in improvised housing.
The governor had previously called it an “enormous storm,” capable of destructive flooding and even the possibility of wildfires kicked up by strong winds across the island chain. Electricity was knocked out for 32% of customers on the Big Island, according to poweroutage.us. The Big Island, with a population of 210,000, is Hawaii’s largest island.
Bobby Camara, a 75-year-old lifelong resident living just outside Hilo, planned to “hunker down, cross my fingers, hope the lights don’t go out.” He observed that gas stations were busy as people sought fuel for chain saws and vehicles. “I think stocking up is part of life over here. … You learn to be self-reliant,” Camara said.
Mike Caputo, who lives in Keaau near the Big Island’s east coast, had his power generator ready and a 10,000-gallon (37.8 kiloliter) home water tank full. He identified the main concerns as flash flooding and fallen trees, especially albizia, a common tree. “They’re not very sturdy, but they grow extremely large,” said Caputo, 50, a local fire captain. “They can make roads impassable.”
The Big Island was under a hurricane warning, while tropical storm warnings were issued for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Shelters were opened, events were canceled, and ranchers were urged to leave their cattle in pastures rather than structures that might collapse. “It doesn’t take landfall to create destruction,” said Almanza.
Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea on the northern side of the island, reported that “big gusts every few minutes rattle the whole house.” She added, “We’re finding unexpected leaks in places that don’t see water under normal conditions.”
The hurricane center predicted 8 to 12 inches (20.3 to 30.5 centimeters) of total rainfall across Maui and the lower elevations of the Big Island, and 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) across the rest of the island chain. Many Hawaii residents are still dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods that occurred in March.
As winds ramped up across the islands, Almanza noted that dry and breezy conditions outside the storm would elevate fire concerns. This heightened awareness follows the 2023 Maui town of Lahaina fire, which burned during extreme winds as a hurricane passed far to the south. Archie Kalepa of Lahaina commented, “Since the fire, everybody is way more aware of weather in general and our environment and things that are happening.”
Kauai, located several islands northwest of the Big Island, was where Hurricane Iniki made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in 1992. Steven Businger, a University of Hawaii scientist, recalled that Iniki caused $3 billion in damage, destroyed thousands of homes, and resulted in six deaths, noting, “We just can never know if a storm is going to turn.” He also mentioned that 1992 was an El Nino year, similar to the current one, which increases Pacific hurricane activity and affects global weather patterns.
