Tropical Storm Lala, which brought dangerous flooding, strong winds and a massive power outage throughout Hawaii, is beginning to exit the islands as the eye starts to pull away from Kauai.
Around 165,000 customers are still without power across the islands Sunday night as hurricane-force wind gusts were reported in Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties.
At least 100 homes were damaged and lost in the storm, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said during a Sunday news conference.
Drone video reveals the extensive damage torrential floods did to Highway 11 in Pahala
The effects of the storm are likely to exit the Hawaiian Islands by 8 a.m. local time Monday. Green announced that all state and county offices, schools, courts and Judiciary offices would be closed on Monday.
Tropical storm warnings are still in effect for Kauai and a flood watch is in effect overnight for Kaua, Oahu and Maui counties. Heavy rainfall is continuing but becoming more sporadic as the outer rainbands pass over the islands.
Water rushes down hillside under bridge in Maui on Saturday as Hurricane Lala slams island (Source: Greg Wilson via AP)
Strong winds are still affecting Kauai and Niihau. The strongest winds will occur over mountainous island terrain, the state’s emergency management agency said in an update Sunday evening, where gusts are amplified at higher elevations.
It warned people to continue exercising caution after Lala passes “as deadly hazards remain, including flooded areas and downed power lines.”
Green on Saturday evening attributed a death from a car accident to the storm but said Sunday it was unclear whether it was connected to Lala.
Another person was found dead amid the storm, but it is also unclear how the person died and whether the death was storm-related, Green said.
In a video update Saturday night, Darryl Oliviera, Hawaii County’s acting civil defense administrator, said occupants of a vehicle stuck in floodwaters were being rescued, though he did not provide further details.
Rescue crews were able to save lives in their response by pulling an elderly woman out of a tree when her house washed away, Green said.
A “river of water” went through Naalehu on Hawaii, washing away “quite a lot,” the governor added.
Additionally, Green described a collapsed road, which made way for a new waterfall and damage to small bridges, cutting off people in an area where there is a small hospital, now isolated and without power.
There are likely “a ton of landslides” on the Big Island because of the heavy rains, Green said.
Pāhala highway collapses from rushing floodwaters
Deborah Funai Brown, a lifelong resident of Pāhala, told CNN affiliate KHNL/KGMB that she witnessed a highway collapse, calling the event — which has left up to 2,500 residents trapped— “catastrophic.”
“We’ve always been stuck in the middle of nowhere so you kind of feel forgotten about when you’re out here, like you’re on an island by yourself,” Brown told the outlet.
Pāhala resident speaks about highway collapse
The collapse occurred after floodwaters from the Pa’au’au Stream breached a rock wall and surged onto the highway, causing it to buckle.
Lala, which strengthened to a Category 1 storm Saturday, made its closest approach to Hawaii’s Big Island at around 5 p.m. local time, with its eyewall brushing the southern portion from roughly 30 miles away, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Videos obtained by CNN show streets flooded by torrential rainfall on the Big Island, which got over 30 inches of rain. More than 190 flights in and out of Hawaii have been postponed, while 52 were canceled, Green said, though airports across the state remained open.
Floodwaters rush across road on Hawaii’s Big Island
Emergency responders were expected to be busy dealing with urgent matters as the storm passes Hawaii, with damage assessment expected to begin on Monday, the governor said.
A record number of road closures and prolonged power outages had been reported, according to Alameda.
Those widespread power outages and road closures have had major impacts on residents, Major General Stephen F. Logan, adjutant general for the state of Hawaii, told CNN’s Brian Abel.
The biggest challenge for crews working to restore power in affected areas is clearing downed trees that fell during the storm, Logan said.
Hurricane Lala left destruction in its path after causing damage on Hawaii’s Big Island (Source: Stingr.com/Reuters)
He added state officials are confident they can take care of the massive cleanup effort after the storm but active-duty military are standing by in case they need assistance.
As Lala moves west, its most serious threat is the torrential rain, which could spur additional flash flooding and mudslides across the island chain. The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain.
Large waves generated by Lala will continue to impact exposed shores of the Hawaiian Islands through Sunday night, with a gradual ease expected from east to west by Monday, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said. It warned of possible coastal flooding and beach erosion.
Landfalls — when the center of the eye moves over land — on the Hawaiian islands have happened only a handful of times in the modern record. The last tropical system to make landfall was Tropical Storm Olivia in 2018, which came ashore on Maui, the island’s first landfall since recordkeeping began in the 1950s.
The last landfalling hurricane was in 1992, when Category 4 Iniki hit Kauai, becoming the strongest storm to directly strike the state on record.
Across Hawaii, residents evacuated to designated shelters and scoured packed grocery stores as officials across several counties announced closures as the storm approached.
In Hilo, grocery stores and gas stations were busy as people stocked up on essentials, CNN affiliate KHNL/KGMB reported. Hawaii County offered sandbags for residents around the island. Around 130 people had fled to shelters Saturday, according to the mayor.
Many roads in Hawaii County are closed due to downed trees and utility lines and landslides, according to the County of Hawaii Mayor’s Office.
“While road crews are working hard to clear debris as conditions allow, we need all residents and visitors to heed all warnings, move into safe shelter, and stay off the roadways,” Alameda said.
And in Oahu, officials opened eight hurricane refuge areas as public facilities like the Honolulu Zoo shuttered.
Tropical storms approaching Hawaii typically hit cooler ocean temperatures before reaching the islands, but Lala remained over warmer waters due to an ongoing marine heat wave extending to California and a developing Super El Niño.
El Niño is helping fuel increased storm potential in the central Pacific this year with warmer ocean temperatures and weaker winds in the upper atmosphere, which can normally break up storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast an above-average central Pacific season, with five to 13 cyclones expected.
Randy Collins, director of emergency management for the city and county of Honolulu, urged residents to be extra careful once the storm has passed and cleanup starts.
“Many casualties happen after the disaster. … As people are cleaning things up, they’re working with heavy equipment, chain saws, generators, they’re working around downed power lines and so forth. That’s when the casualties come,” he said. “I just want to encourage everyone as they are cleaning up to ensure that you are doing so in a safe manner.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
