Hurricane Lala Dumps 35 Inches of Rain on Hawaii, Knocking Out Power for 200,000

Hurricane Lala skirted Hawaii’s Big Island on August 15-16 without making direct landfall but still unleashed catastrophic flooding. The storm dumped up to 35 inches of rain in some areas, swept multiple homes off their foundations near Naalehu and Waiohinu, and left more than 200,000 households without power. At least one person died in a car accident, and search-and-rescue teams deployed to find residents in destroyed coastal communities.

The storm’s destructive path and rainfall totals

Hurricane Lala reached Category 1 strength on Saturday morning with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, then weakened to a tropical storm by Sunday as it passed south of the Hawaiian island chain. The storm’s eyewall came within 30 miles of Big Island’s South Point overnight, close enough to trigger severe flooding. Up to 35 inches of rain fell in some places, with the National Hurricane Center forecasting total rainfall of 30 to 35 inches on higher windward slopes, 4 to 8 inches across the Big Island and windward Maui, and 4 to 6 inches for the rest of the island chain.

Governor Josh Green reported rainfall of 2 inches per hour in some areas and warned residents to shelter in place. Higher elevations near Mauna Kea volcano could receive as much as 25 inches, creating risk of life-threatening mudslides in mountainous areas where people live in improvised housing.

Power outages and emergency response scale

More than 200,000 households lost electricity as Lala approached and passed the islands. By Sunday morning, at least 130,000 households remained without power across Hawaii’s three largest islands, and at least three hospitals operated on generator power. The Big Island, with a population of 210,000, saw 32 percent of customers lose electricity.

About 180 Hawaii National Guard members were deployed to assist with emergency response. Mayor Kimo Alameda launched a search-and-rescue operation after flash floods swept several occupied homes off their foundations in coastal communities near the island’s southern tip. “What makes this very challenging is that there’s rushing water, there’s debris, there’s boulders on the road, and it’s dark,” Alameda said.

Damage reports and casualties

At least one person died in a car accident in the South Point area of the Big Island. The National Weather Service reported two homes swept away by intense rainfall, and Governor Green said 19 roofs were lost in the “enormous storm.” Crews had already responded to more than 30 sites by Saturday evening.

Temporary evacuation points and shelters across Maui County opened to house displaced residents. As of Sunday morning, 40 individuals were sheltering at facilities including Baldwin High School in Wailuku, Hāna High and Elementary School, and Lahaina Civic Center Gym. The Lahaina shelter later closed due to flooding early Sunday morning.

Final Thoughts

Hurricane Lala’s near-miss with Hawaii delivered devastating rainfall and power losses despite weakening before landfall. Investors and residents should monitor recovery timelines and utility restoration efforts, as prolonged outages and infrastructure damage could affect business operations and insurance claims across the islands.

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