A flash flood swept a vehicle away on Hawaii's Big Island after Hurricane Lala brushed past the islands over the weekend, leaving one person dead in a related car accident. Officials said the storm's heavy rain and winds dislodged roughly 100 homes from their foundations, while more than 200,000 households lost power.
By Sunday night, the National Hurricane Center reported that the storm had weakened to a tropical storm and moved west of the Hawaiian Islands, with no coastal watches or warnings remaining in effect at that time.
How strong was the storm when it hit?
According to the National Hurricane Center, Lala was located about 305 miles west of Honolulu as of 11 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Sunday, packing maximum sustained winds near 60 mph, with tropical-storm-force winds stretching up to 105 miles from its center. Earlier in the day, a national radio broadcaster reported the system was centered roughly 105 miles west-northwest of Kailua-Kona with winds around 70 mph, tracking northwest at approximately 15 mph.
How serious was the threat before it passed?
Before weakening, the storm had prompted a hurricane warning for Hawaii County and tropical storm warnings for Maui County, according to a cable news network's report, with watches also issued for Oahu and Kauai counties. Hawaii's tourism authority noted that a Flood Watch remained active for Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui counties even as conditions began to improve on Sunday, according to the state's official tourism site.
What happens next?
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center expect the storm to continue moving west through Tuesday before shifting to a west-northwest track on Wednesday. Notably, meteorologists anticipate the system could restrengthen into a hurricane again by that point, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest advisory.
Key Facts
- One person died in a car accident linked to the flash flooding on the Big Island.
- Approximately 100 homes were knocked off their foundations by flooding and mudslides.
- More than 200,000 households lost power during the storm.
- The storm weakened to tropical storm status and moved west of Hawaii by Sunday night, with maximum winds near 60 mph.
- Forecasters expect the system to potentially restrengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday.
