Lala leaves one dead in Hawaii with heavy rain, wind to come

A devastating storm named Lala has claimed a life in Hawaii, as it continues to wreak havoc across the state. The powerful weather system has brought nearly three feet of rain and damaging winds to parts of the island chain, including the Big Island and Oahu. Lala made its closest approach to landfall on the southern tip of the Big Island, where it was responsible for a tragic car accident that took a single life on Saturday.

Despite weakening from hurricane strength to a tropical storm, Lala is still expected to dump an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain on the Big Island and windward Maui, with maximum storm totals potentially reaching 30 to 35 inches. The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for Maui County, Oahu, and Kauai County, but has discontinued it for Hawaii County.

Authorities warn that the torrential rainfall could lead to life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas with steep terrain. The combination of dangerous storm surge and rising tides could inundate normally dry coastal areas. Over 60,000 Hawaii residents lost power on Sunday morning, while nearly 106 flights into and out of Honolulu and Hilo have been canceled as of 3:30 p.m. local time.

Hawaiian Electric Industries has warned that power restoration could take weeks or even months, and assistance from mainland electric utilities is expected to begin on Tuesday. While Lala has passed close to Hawaii for the first time in over a century, the state has experienced tropical storms before, with Hurricane Iniki striking Kauai in 1992.

The recent fires on Maui, which were exacerbated by wind patterns set up by a distant tropical storm, serve as a reminder of the ever-present threat of tropical weather in Hawaii.