Thousands without power and at least 100 homes damaged after Tropical Storm Lala lashes Hawaii

A rural road floods in Volcano Village on Hawaii Island, on Aug. 15. Hurricane Lala on Saturday lashed Hawaii's Big Island with heavy rain and strong winds, as forecasters warned of potentially dangerous flooding across the US Pacific island state. Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane at around 9:00 am local time (1900 GMT), generating winds of up to 75 miles per hour (120 kilometres per hour). (Jill K. Briggs/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Flooding rain and strong winds are continuing to move through Hawaii after Hurricane Lala passed by the islands overnight, before weakening slightly Sunday morning to a tropical storm with 65 mph sustained winds and heavy rain.

More than 200,000 customers are without power across the islands, and nearly 70 per cent of the Big Island is without power. Hurricane-force wind gusts were reported in Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties, with the mountainous island terrain amplifying winds at higher elevations.

At least 100 homes were damaged and lost in the storm, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said during a Sunday news conference.

The island of Oahu, including the state’s capital, Honolulu, is under a flash flood warning Sunday afternoon, after the Big Island saw flash flooding Saturday night.

“Several occupied homes may have been swept off their foundations, and based on that, civil defence has initiated a search and rescue mission,” Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said overnight.

Dangerous flash flooding as Lala moves west

Lala has started to pull away from the islands Sunday afternoon, but heavy rain is expected to continue throughout the day across the island chain.

Green on Saturday evening attributed 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, Hawaii County’s Acting Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliviera 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.

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 cancelled, Green said, though airports across the state remained open.

Emergency responders are expected to be busy dealing with urgent matters for 36 hours 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.

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.

Rain, wind ongoing as storm passes through

As Lala moves west, its most serious threat is its torrential rain, which could also spur additional flash flooding across the other Hawaiian Islands. The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain.

Up to 6 inches of additional rain is expected in parts of Kauai, where tropical storm warnings are in effect. Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu and Kahoolawe are also under a tropical storm warning.

Waves could reach 8 to 12 feet, particularly on east-facing shores where a high surf advisory is in effect.

Landfalls — when the centre 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.

Hawaii residents cope with hurricane impacts

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 Hawaii News Now 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.

By Dalia Faheid, Karina Tsui, Chris Boyette, Meteorologists Tyler Ory and Dakota Smith