Lala slammed Hawaii as hurricane with pounding rain and strong winds

Tropical Storm Lala brought devastation to Hawaii's Big Island over the weekend, destroying homes and leaving residents without essential resources. In Waiohinu, a small community on the southern tip of the island, a mudslide swept through, destroying approximately a dozen homes. The force of the landslide was so intense that boulders were reported to have shaken the ground.

One resident, Alice Birnbaum, described the situation to CBS News, expressing the urgent need for water, propane, gas, and food. Nearby Naalehu reported the tragic death of a 90-year-old woman, whose death was initially reported missing during the storm. Hawaii County Police Chief Reed Mahuna stated that foul play was not suspected.

The storm, which weakened to a tropical storm before regaining strength, passed just 30 miles off the Big Island's coast, delivering wind gusts over 80 mph and torrential rain. Some areas received more than 3 feet of rain, with Kapalua in Maui County experiencing 48 inches over the weekend.

As of Monday night, around 71,000 customers remained without power across the Hawaiian Islands. Bridges on the Big Island had been washed away, and several communities were entirely cut off, leaving residents to rely on each other for survival. Waiohinu residents have been particularly affected, as one family with a young child barely escaped their home before it was destroyed by the mudslide.

State and Hawaii County offices, along with public schools on the Big Island, remain closed on Tuesday, as do facilities in Oahu, Maui, and Kauai counties. However, state and county offices, courts, and judiciary facilities, as well as most public schools in Oahu, Maui, and Kauai counties, are set to reopen. Lala's impact on Hawaii's Big Island continues to be felt, with a storm that will strengthen further as it moves across the central Pacific.