Hurricane Lala brought wind and heavy rain to Hawaii on Saturday, causing power outages for more than 40,000 utility customers across the state. The U.S. National Hurricane Center reported that the storm reached Category 1 status with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The center warned that the rainfall posed a threat of flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas with steep terrain.
The storm follows several days of development in the Pacific Ocean. Satellite imagery from August 12 and 13 showed the system as a tropical storm before it strengthened into a hurricane as it moved toward the Hawaiian Islands. By Saturday afternoon, the system was moving westward across the state, prompting weather officials to issue advisories for the Big Island and Maui.
According to poweroutage.com, 42,889 customers lacked electricity as of 2:14 p.m. HST on Saturday. The majority of these outages occurred on the Big Island, where 31,792 customers were affected, while Maui County reported 7,203 outages. Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Darren Pai stated that utility crews were assessing damage along a 42-mile span of transmission lines on the Hamakua Coast, where fallen trees destroyed multiple poles and structures.
The scale of the reported weather conditions includes forecasted rainfall of 10 to 20 inches on the Big Island, with localized amounts potentially reaching 25 inches, and up to 12 inches in parts of Maui. For residents, this volume of water increases the immediate risk of mudslides and flash flooding, which can block roads and damage property. While wind gusts exceeding 100 mph were recorded at the Maunakea Weather Center, the National Hurricane Center noted that sustained winds at sea level were approximately 75 mph, which defines the threshold for a Category 1 hurricane.
The closure of commercial ports in Hawaii Island, Maui County, and Kaua‘i limits the state's maritime logistics, which may have knock-on effects for supply chains if the closures persist. The National Hurricane Center's designation of the conditions as "life-threatening" signals that emergency services and local infrastructure will remain under strain until the storm moves further west. Further updates on power restoration and the reopening of transportation hubs are expected as utility crews and state officials assess the damage following the storm's peak.
What happens next: As of Saturday afternoon, Hawaiian Electric crews were continuing to assess structural damage to the electrical grid. The status of airport and port closures remains subject to weather conditions, with no specific reopening dates provided in current reports. Residents in affected areas have been advised to prepare for extended power outages as the storm system continues its westward path.