Lala Leaves One Dead in Hawaii With Heavy Rain, Wind to Come

A storm named Lala has claimed at least one life on Hawaii's Big Island and Oahu, with potentially catastrophic rain and wind conditions in store. The storm, which narrowly missed landfall, reached its closest point to South Point, the southern tip of the Big Island, where a car accident resulted in a fatality on Saturday, according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green.

Despite weakening from a hurricane, Lala retains the strength of a tropical storm and is expected to bring additional rainfall ranging from 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) across the Big Island and windward Maui. The National Hurricane Center warns that storm totals could exceed 30 to 35 inches over the Big Island, triggering life-threatening flooding and mudslides particularly in areas with steep terrain.

The tropical storm warning has been withdrawn for Hawaii County, which includes the Big Island, but remains active for Maui County, Oahu, and Kauai County. Nearly 60,000 customers across Hawaii were without power on Sunday, and around 106 flights to and from Honolulu and Hilo have been canceled. Hawaiian Electric Industries, the state's primary utility company, warns that power restoration for some Hawaii Island customers may take weeks or even months, with assistance from mainland utilities expected to commence on Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds have dropped to near 65 miles per hour (104 kilometers per hour) with higher gusts, and some strengthening is expected by midweek. Although the Big Island has never experienced a direct hurricane strike, tropical storms are not unheard of. The state has faced hurricanes and tropical storms in the past, with Hurricane Iniki hitting Kauai in 1992 and various weaker tropical systems passing through since then.