Hurricane Lala leaves thousands without power in Hawaii amid 'life-threatening' conditions

On Saturday, Hurricane Lala made landfall in Hawaii with powerful winds and torrential rain, leaving more than 40,000 utility customers without electricity across the state. The National Hurricane Center issued a warning of life-threatening conditions as the storm system swept across Hawaii. According to the website poweroutage.com, 42,889 customers were without power at 2:14 p.m. HST, with 31,792 on the Big Island and 7,203 in Maui County, which includes Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.

The hurricane center forecasted 10 to 20 inches (25.4 to 51 cm) of rain on the Big Island, with the potential for up to 25 inches in some areas. These heavy rains were expected to cause life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in regions with steep terrain. Hawaiian Electric advised residents to anticipate "possible extended outages, potentially overnight" as the storm moved westward across the islands.

On the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island, utility crews were inspecting a 42-mile (67.6 km) stretch of transmission lines after fallen trees had snapped multiple poles and structures, according to a spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric. Earlier, the US National Hurricane Center reported that Lala had reached maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), placing it in Category 1 hurricane status.

The Maunakea Weather Center, situated on the Big Island's highest peak, recorded wind gusts exceeding 100 mph during the early afternoon, though actual wind speeds would have been lower nearer to the coast. The Hawaii Department of Transportation announced the closure of Hilo International Airport and would shut down Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole at 2 p.m. HST.

Additionally, the department suspended operations at commercial ports in Hawaii Island, Maui County, and Kaua'i.