Hawaii power outage update: Honolulu and Maui counties affected as Tropical Storm Lala triggers flash flooding

Tropical Storm Lala brought widespread power outages and flash flooding to Hawaii on Sunday. The storm affected all eight major islands, with Honolulu and Maui counties among the hardest hit. More than 200,000 customers - including around 130,000 in Honolulu County - were without electricity, primarily due to downed power lines.

Maui County reported about 27,000 to 29,000 outages, while the Big Island had about 58,000. The storm caused damage to major transmission lines, particularly along the Hamakua Coast on the Big Island. In addition to power outages, the storm brought heavy rain, strong winds (with gusts above 100 mph reported near Mauna Kea's summit), and dangerous flash flooding.

In Na’alehu and Wai’ohinu, flash floods reportedly swept away several occupied homes. A search-and-rescue operation was launched for the Big Island, involving the Hawaii Civil Defense, National Guard, and a Coast Guard helicopter. One person was killed in a vehicle crash in the South Point area of the Big Island. Honolulu faced its own challenges with tropical storm conditions, including dozens of weather-related incidents reported by the Honolulu Fire Department.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for the islands, warning of heavy rains, flooding, mudslides, downed trees, and power lines. Tropical storm warnings remained in effect for several islands, with the storm expected to regain hurricane strength later in the week. Officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from hazardous areas while cleanup and rescue efforts continued.