- Hurricane Lala brought strong winds and heavy rain to Hawaii, leading to significant impacts across the state.
- Hurricane Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm overnight, but it continued to affect the region with heavy rainfall.
- Damage assessments and cleanup efforts began on Aug 16 as the storm rolled past the Big Island.
- Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated that officials are investigating possible storm-related deaths, including a serious car accident.
- Hawaii Emergency Management Director Randy Collins warned of post-storm dangers, noting that many casualties often occur after disasters.
- Heavy rain and flood risk spread westward across the island chain on Aug 16, with a maximum storm total of 76cm to 89cm of rainfall expected over the windward Big Island.
- Hawaii Emergency Management Director Randy Collins emphasized that many casualties often happen after the disaster as people work with heavy equipment and around downed power lines.
Hurricane Lala, which was downgraded to a tropical storm on August 16, has left Hawaii facing significant challenges as it continues to dump heavy rain across the state.126
Damage assessments and cleanup efforts commenced as officials began to evaluate the storm's impact on the Big Island and beyond.3
At a news conference, Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated, "We’re praying that there are essentially no fatalities. The question is a difficult one to answer in some ways," referring to a terrible car accident that may have been storm-related.4
The National Hurricane Center reported that Lala had strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on August 15, generating winds of up to 129 km/h. Although the storm has weakened, tropical storm warnings remain in effect for all major islands, including Maui and Oahu.
Randy Collins, Hawaii Emergency Management Director, cautioned that dangers persist even after the storm has passed. He noted, "Many casualties often happen after the disaster. As people are cleaning things up, they’re working with heavy equipment, chainsaws, generators... that’s when the casualties come."57
A maximum storm total of 76 cm to 89 cm of rainfall is expected over the windward Big Island, with flood risks spreading across the island chain.
As recovery efforts begin, officials continue to monitor the situation closely, hoping for minimal loss of life and safety for residents during the cleanup process.
“Governor Josh Green said officials are investigating whether any storm-related deaths occurred, citing a 'terrible car accident' and possible houseless fatalities. Emergency Management Director Randy Collins warned that many casualties often happen after the disaster as people work with heavy equipment and downed power lines.”
