Tropical Storm Lala damaged or swept away approximately 100 homes on Hawaii’s Big Island on Sunday [1, 2].
The storm's impact highlights the vulnerability of island infrastructure to extreme weather, as flash floods and mudslides caused significant property loss and utility failures.
Lala began as a category one hurricane before being downgraded to a tropical storm [1, 2]. The storm's eyewall skirted the Big Island, producing hurricane-force gusts and heavy rainfall [4, 5]. Some areas reported rainfall totals as high as nearly three feet [4], while other reports indicated up to 25 inches [5].
These conditions triggered mudslides and flash floods that ripped homes from their foundations [4, 5]. Beyond the Big Island, the state of Hawaii also saw secondary impacts on Oahu and Kauai [1, 2].
Power outages were widespread across the islands. Reports on the scale of the outages varied, with one source stating more than 180,000 utility customers remained without power on Sunday afternoon [2], while another reported the number was about 219,000 [6].
Governor Josh Green said, "...amazingly... did not seem to have been any wider loss of life."
One person died in connection with the storm, resulting from a car accident [1].
Emergency crews are currently assessing the full extent of the damage as the storm moves away from the islands [2, 3].
“Approximately 100 homes were swept away or severely damaged.”
The scale of property damage and power failure following Tropical Storm Lala demonstrates the high risk posed by 'near-miss' storms. Even when a storm's center does not make a direct hit, the outer bands and eyewall can deliver enough precipitation to trigger catastrophic mudslides in volcanic terrain, stressing the state's emergency response and power grid.
