Hurricane Lala nears Hawaii with life-threatening rain and winds

Hawaii braced Saturday for a rare direct strike from a hurricane as Lala strengthened into a Category 1 storm and moved toward the Big Island, threatening damaging winds, flash flooding, mudslides and dangerous surf across the island chain.

The storm reached sustained winds of 75 mph, or 120 kph, by midday Saturday, according to forecasters cited by the BBC and Al Jazeera. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Big Island, while Maui County, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau were under tropical storm warnings.

Lala was expected to either make landfall or pass close to the southern tip of the Big Island on Saturday before continuing west. If it comes ashore, it would be Hawaii’s first direct hurricane hit since 1992, when Hurricane Iniki struck Kauai. The Associated Press, cited by the BBC, reported that the Big Island has not had a hurricane make landfall in 155 years.

Officials warned residents that the storm could bring life-threatening conditions. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green called Lala “enormous” and urged people to prepare for “an incredible amount of water.”

“Damaging winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and dangerous surf are possible across the state through the weekend,” Green said in a message on X, a warning he also delivered in a video statement while the storm was still strengthening.

The National Hurricane Center said Saturday that “damaging hurricane-force winds are expected on the Big Island of Hawaii later today,” adding that tropical storm-force winds were already beginning. The National Weather Service warned that the heaviest impacts were expected in parts of southeastern Big Island.

“Major rainfall flooding may prompt many evacuations and rescues,” the weather service said, according to the BBC. Rivers and tributaries “may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places,” it added.

Rainfall forecasts varied by location. The National Hurricane Center predicted 8 to 12 inches of rain across Maui and the lower elevations of the Big Island, with 4 to 6 inches across the rest of the island chain, Al Jazeera reported. Higher elevations on the Big Island could receive as much as 25 inches. The BBC reported that in a worst-case scenario, Lala could also produce a storm surge of 3 feet.

Officials urged residents to finish storm preparations early and move to safe shelter. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Friday, “I am asking everyone to finish your preparations today. Don’t wait for the weather to deteriorate.” Hawaii County’s Civil Defense Agency said public shelters were available in every county on the Big Island.

“At this time, you should have completed your storm-ready preparations and focusing on your Sheltering Plan,” the agency said on X.

Local Facebook message boards showed residents filling sandbags to protect homes and asking whether stores remained open early Saturday. Dozens of flights were canceled. At Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, the Big Island’s largest airport, 40% of flights were grounded, according to FlightAware data cited by the BBC. At Hilo International Airport, about 80% of flights were called off.

Forecasters expected Lala to continue west through the weekend and possibly weaken into a tropical storm, with its center passing just south of Hawaii’s other islands.

Hurricane Iniki, a Category 4 storm, was the last hurricane to strike Hawaii, making landfall on Kauai’s southern coast in 1992. It caused six deaths and $3 billion in damage, according to the BBC. Al Jazeera reported that it caused billions of dollars in damage.