Tropical Storm Lala Kills 1, Causes Severe Flooding in Hawaii

Tropical Storm Lala was already battering Hawaii's Big Island early Saturday and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before landfall — the first on the island in 155 years.

• 65 mph sustained winds were recorded Friday; Category 1 threshold is 74 mph.
• 25 inches of rain are possible at higher elevations on the Big Island.
• Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 220 miles from the storm's center.
• A hurricane warning covers the Big Island; Maui County is under a tropical storm warning.

Why it matters: The storm threatens an area that is remote, rural, and increasingly populated — with many residents in unpermitted structures and communities still recovering from severe flooding in March.

• Life-threatening flooding, mudslides, storm surge, and dangerous surf are all forecast.
• Dry conditions outside the storm raise wildfire risk; the 2023 Lahaina fire, during a hurricane far to Hawaii's south, killed dozens and destroyed much of the town.

How 41 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage agrees on the facts; the main uncertainty is whether Lala will make direct landfall or pass just south of the Big Island.

What’s next: AccuWeather predicts Lala will pass within 10 miles of the island, just to the south.

• The storm's core is expected near South Point Saturday, then south of smaller islands Sunday.
• Tropical storm-force winds could reach Oahu and Kauai by Sunday morning.
• Will Lala make direct landfall or track just south — and how much will that difference affect damage?
• How prepared are off-grid residents in the Big Island's rural south, where enforcement of building codes is limited?
• Could Lala shift northward toward more populated islands, as Hurricane Iniki did in 1992?