Hurricane Lala Slams Hawaii's Big Island as Historic Storm Threat Grips the State
Hawaii is in the middle of a weather event unlike anything it has seen in a generation. Category 1 Hurricane Lala is grinding along the southern edge of the Big Island, unleashing punishing wind, torrential rain, and dangerous surf as the state braces for what could become its first direct hurricane impact in over three decades.
Where Things Stand Right Now
According to the National Hurricane Center's 2 p.m. Saturday advisory, Lala's eye was positioned about 50 miles south of South Point, Hawaii, moving northwest at a crawling 8 mph with sustained winds holding at 75 mph and a minimum central pressure of 988 millibars. That slow forward speed means the storm is spending extended time interacting directly with the island's mountainous terrain — a pattern forecasters say will keep damaging winds in place well into the night before the system pushes westward across the smaller islands through Sunday.
A hurricane warning continues for Hawaii County, the most serious alert level, signaling that hurricane-force conditions are already occurring or imminent. Tropical storm warnings remain in place for Maui County (covering Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Kahoolawe), Oahu, and Kauai County, including Niihau. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument has also been told to track the storm's progress.
Wind, Rain, and Surf Breakdown
Observed wind speeds have already reached impressive levels. A station near South Point at roughly 550 feet elevation clocked sustained winds of 42 mph with gusts to 63 mph, while the CFHT/Gemini observatory site atop Maunakea recorded sustained winds of 98 mph and a peak gust of 119 mph earlier Saturday. South Kohala saw gusts approaching 80 mph, according to Hawaii County officials. The National Weather Service notes that wind speeds on mountain slopes and ridgelines often run 30% stronger than what's measured at ground level, meaning isolated pockets could see even more extreme conditions than the official advisory suggests.
Rainfall remains the storm's most dangerous element. NOAA's forecast calls for 10 to 20 inches across the Big Island with isolated totals as high as 25 to 30 inches, while Hawaii County's own guidance for windward areas runs slightly higher, citing 15 to 20 inches with pockets potentially exceeding 30. Maui can expect 8 to 12 inches on its windward eastern side, with 4 to 6 inches — and up to 8 inches in spots — across western Maui and the rest of the island chain. Officials warn this rainfall is capable of producing life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain.
Storm surge adds another layer of risk. Combined with normal tidal action, water could rise 1 to 3 feet above ground level along Big Island shorelines and 1 to 2 feet elsewhere in the chain, with the heaviest flooding concentrated right along the coast where surge combines with large, dangerous waves. Surf generated by Lala is already building along east-facing shores and is expected to intensify along south-facing coastlines as the storm passes below the islands, raising the risk of life-threatening rip currents statewide.
Impacts Already Being Felt
Hawaii County reported widespread power outages and multiple road closures as of midday Saturday, including full closures on Highway 250 between mile markers 1 and 19, Highway 19 near mile marker 53.7, and two separate stretches of Highway 11, along with numerous secondary roads across the island. Mayor Kimo Alameda said crews were working to clear fallen trees and debris but urged residents and visitors to stay off roadways entirely and remain sheltered until conditions improve. All county parks, pavilions, and solid waste facilities were closed for the day, with weekend camping permits cancelled.
The county has opened a dozen shelters spanning from Kapaʻau in North Kohala down to Captain Cook on the west side, all accepting pets that arrive in carriers. Residents needing food, clothing, debris removal, or emergency housing assistance can submit requests through a coalition-run online form, and storm damage reports can be filed with county Civil Defense by phone or online.
Electricity losses have climbed steadily throughout the day. Associated Press reporting citing poweroutage.us put Big Island outages at roughly 32% of customers by early afternoon, a sharp jump from the nearly 37,000 customers reported without power earlier Saturday morning.
Voices From the Storm
Longtime residents are leaning on hard-earned storm experience. A 75-year-old lifelong Hilo-area resident told the Associated Press he was hunkering down at a care home outside town, hoping the lights stayed on, and noted that keeping emergency supplies on hand is simply part of living on the island. In Keaau, along the Big Island's east coast, a local fire captain said his generator was fueled and his 10,000-gallon water tank was full, with his biggest worry being flash flooding and falling albizia trees — a fast-growing but structurally weak species known for blocking roads when it topples.
On the island's north side, a Waimea resident described wind gusts strong enough to shake her entire house every few minutes, along with unexpected leaks appearing in areas of her home that normally stay dry during storms.
Hilo-based meteorologist Jennifer Myers told the BBC that landslides had already blocked some roads near her, with downed power lines from fallen trees compounding the danger. Watching from her apartment where the Wailuku River meets Hilo Bay, she described the water running unusually high, with the bay's normally blue water turning reddish-brown from heavy sediment runoff.
A Storm for the History Books
Should Lala make an official landfall, it would represent Hawaii's first hurricane landfall since Category 4 Iniki devastated Kauai in 1992, killing six people and inflicting roughly $3 billion in damage. University of Hawaii scientist Steven Businger cautioned that hurricane paths remain inherently uncertain, noting that forecasters can never fully guarantee how a storm will ultimately track. Separately, research from a University of Hawaii atmospheric scientist has documented that the Big Island's northeast corner was actually struck by a Category 3 storm back in 1871 — meaning Saturday's system may not be the island's first hurricane encounter in absolute terms, even if it's the most consequential in living memory.
Officials are also watching for a secondary danger: dry, gusty conditions on the storm's outer fringes could elevate wildfire risk in areas untouched by rain. That concern carries extra weight given the 2023 Lahaina fire, which ignited during extreme winds while a hurricane passed well south of the islands. Well-known Lahaina waterman Archie Kalepa said that disaster permanently changed how closely residents now track weather patterns and environmental conditions.
This year's storm activity is unfolding during a developing El Niño pattern, a climate cycle in which warming waters near the equatorial Pacific tend to fuel increased hurricane formation and reshape weather patterns across the wider region — a dynamic separately linked to record-warm global ocean temperatures recorded just last month.
Looking Ahead
Forecasters expect Lala to curve westward on Sunday with increasing forward speed, keeping its core south of the remaining Hawaiian Islands and the easternmost Northwestern Hawaiian Islands into early next week. Some weakening is likely overnight as the storm continues interacting with the Big Island's terrain, though slight restrengthening is possible by Monday or Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center's next complete advisory is scheduled for 5 p.m. HST, matching the timing of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency's next public update.
Residents statewide are encouraged to sign up for local emergency alerts, monitor county civil defense channels, and avoid unnecessary travel until hazardous conditions subside.
Sources: BBC News, Maui Now, National Hurricane Center/NOAA, Associated Press, Hawaii County Civil Defense, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
