Tropical Storm Lala Lashes Hawaii’s Big Island
Tropical Storm Lala was already whipping and soaking Hawaii’s Big Island early Saturday, with forecasts indicating it could strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches land, according to AP News. The National Hurricane Center issued a rare hurricane warning for the island, which has not experienced a direct hurricane landfall in 155 years.
As of 5 a.m. HST, Lala was located approximately 110 miles southeast of South Point, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and moving west-northwest at 13 mph. The storm’s center was forecast to move near the Big Island’s southern tip on Saturday, with tropical storm force winds extending outward as much as 220 miles from the center.
A Rare Threat
The hurricane warning for the Big Island marks the first time the island has faced a direct hurricane landfall threat since 1871, when a Category 3 hurricane struck its northeast corner, according to research by University of Hawaii atmospheric scientist Steven Businger. The last hurricane to make landfall anywhere in Hawaii was Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which struck Kauai as a Category 4 storm, causing $3 billion in damage and killing six people.
“This is an enormous storm,” Governor Josh Green said, urging residents to take the threat seriously. “This is a very serious storm. We have not had a hurricane make landfall in quite some time. So none of us really have experienced this really in, you know, the last couple of decades.”
Heavy Rain and Flooding Expected
Forecasters predicted 8 to 12 inches of rainfall across Maui and lower elevations of the Big Island, with maximum totals as high as 25 inches in higher elevations. The National Hurricane Center warned of “life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain,” along with dangerous storm surge and ocean swells “likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
“It doesn’t take landfall to create destruction,” said Vanessa Almanza, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu. “A lot of the impacts are felt outside of the hurricane.”
Wind speeds atop mountains and on windward and leeward slopes are often up to 30 percent stronger than near-surface winds indicated in NHC advisories, the center warned, suggesting nearly hurricane-force winds in Hawaii’s higher-altitude communities.
Emergency Response Mobilized
Governor Green signed an emergency proclamation on Thursday, activating a $100 million disaster fund and directing all state agencies to cooperate in emergency response efforts, as reported by The Guardian. Approximately 180 Hawaii National Guard members were activated and positioned across the state, with high-water vehicles placed in each county.
Shelters opened across all counties, with the Big Island’s food bank, The Food Basket, stocking shelters with food and water. “We’re planning for the aftermath,” said Executive Director Kristin Frost Albrecht. “We’re sadly very experienced at disasters. It’s something we’re familiar with.”
Hawaiian Airlines canceled dozens of flights, the Hawaii Department of Education closed all campuses and offices for the weekend, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closed most areas to visitors. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency advised residents on the Big Island and Maui County to complete storm preparations and shelter in place, warning of damaging winds approaching 75 mph, life-threatening flash flooding, and high surf nearing 20 feet.
Community Preparedness
State Rep. Jeanné Kapela traveled from Honolulu to be closer to her constituents on the Big Island, expressing particular concern for people living off the grid in unpermitted structures in the island’s remote southern region. “If you feel now that your house doesn’t have a great roof or might not be able to withstand hurricane force winds, then first things first you go to a family or friend’s house and you kind of hunker down there,” she said.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda echoed the urgency. “We’re not exempt from these extreme weather conditions,” he told CBS News. “So we’ve been here before, and messages have already gone out. But this could look like a big one.”
Many parts of Hawaii are still recovering from devastating flooding in March, and growers remain worried about additional damage. “We know how quickly heavy rain and flooding can impact our rural communities,” Kapela said.
El Nino Connection
The storm’s approach comes during a powerful El Nino year, with NOAA predicting a 69% chance of a historic event that would exceed the strength of previous El Nino events dating back to 1950. El Nino conditions tend to increase Pacific hurricane activity while suppressing Atlantic activity, as USA TODAY reported. Hurricane Iniki in 1992 also occurred during an El Nino year.
“It did $3 billion worth of damage. It destroyed thousands of homes, and it did kill six people,” Businger said of Iniki. “We just can never know if a storm is going to turn.”
What’s Next
Lala was expected to weaken as it interacts with the Big Island’s terrain, with the center forecast to pass south of the smaller islands on Sunday. Tropical storm conditions were expected in Maui County by Saturday night and in Oahu and Kauai County by Sunday morning. Power outages had already been reported on the Big Island Saturday morning, and residents were urged to remain vigilant as the storm continues its approach.