- Hurricane Lala brought torrential rains and high winds to the area Saturday, strengthening to a Category 1 hurricane while uprooting trees and causing power outages.
- Flights between Southern California and the islands of Kona, Maui, Kauai and Honolulu began to be canceled Saturday as the storm was taking aim at the Big Island.
- The eye of Hurricane Lala passed just south of the Big Island, avoiding direct landfall, but the eye wall caused some airports in Hilo and Kona to be shut down.
- Further disruptions were already being felt Sunday morning; by 7 a.m., more than a dozen Hawaii-bound flights from LAX had been canceled, while dozens of others were delayed.
Hurricane Lala is wreaking havoc on travel plans between Southern California and Hawaii, with significant flight cancellations and delays reported. As of Sunday morning, FlightAware indicated that more than a dozen flights from LAX to Hawaii were canceled, while many others faced delays.12
The storm, which intensified to a Category 1 hurricane, brought torrential rains and high winds to the region, uprooting trees and causing power outages. Fortunately, the eye of the hurricane passed just south of the Big Island, preventing a direct landfall, which would have marked the first major storm impact in years. However, the storm's eye wall did lead to the shutdown of airports in Hilo and Kona.3
Travelers are advised to check their flight status as the storm continues to affect operations, with disruptions expected to linger as conditions evolve. The impact of Hurricane Lala serves as a reminder of the potential for severe weather to disrupt travel plans, especially in vulnerable regions like Hawaii.
“The storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane Saturday, uprooting trees and causing power outages, though its eye passed just south of the Big Island, avoiding a direct landfall. The eye wall still shut down airports in Hilo and Kona, adding to the travel chaos.”
