Hawaii’s Big Island begins recovery efforts as Hurricane Lala downgrades

On Sunday, Hawaii's Big Island began recovery efforts as Hurricane Lala downgraded to a tropical storm, moving away from the island. Damage assessments and cleanup efforts commenced shortly after the storm's downgrade. Governor Josh Green expressed hope that no fatalities occurred during the storm, acknowledging the difficulty in determining the exact number of storm-related deaths.

He mentioned a terrible car accident that could have been storm-related and the frequent loss of homeless individuals. Hawaii Emergency Management director Randy Collins warned that despite the storm's pass, there were still dangers to face in the coming hours. Many casualties often happen after the disaster, as people are working with heavy equipment, chainsaws, and generators.

Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm in the early hours of Sunday, having previously strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane with winds up to 120 km/h. The hurricane was expected to maintain its intensity for a few more hours before weakening by early Sunday. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the state's seven other major islands.

The Big Island faced a maximum storm total of 30 to 35 inches (76 to 89 centimeters) of rainfall. Lala did not make landfall. The last major hurricane to hit Hawaii was Hurricane Iniki in 1992, causing at least six deaths and billions of dollars in damage.