Former Hurricane Lala drenches Hawaii as flash floods sweep away Big Island homes
Tropical Storm Lala continued to move west and away from Hawaii early Monday after skirting the Big Island as a hurricane, causing damaging winds and torrential rainfall. It is still bringing winds, rough surf and rain to the islands, CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said.
While it was at its strongest, Lala pounded the Big Island's coast with powerful waves as it slowly passed. Howling winds whipped palm trees and waterways swelled with fast-moving runoff from relentless rain that blew nearly sideways.
Five places in Hawaii got 35 inches or more of rain, with Kapalua, in Maui County, getting inundated with 48 inches.
The weather system weakened back to a tropical storm as it continued on its way west, remaining south of the smaller main Hawaiian Islands on Sunday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. But it was likely to start regaining strength as it left Hawaii farther behind and become a hurricane again over the open waters of the Pacific by Wednesday.
Officials said all state and county offices, state Department of Education schools and public charter schools, courts and judiciary offices would be closed Monday.
Lala's eyewall — an area of powerful winds, thunderstorms and heavy rain that encircles the eye of a hurricane —brushed the southern portion of the Big Island on Saturday, forecasters said. A hurricane hasn't made direct landfall in the state since Iniki in 1992.
Two homes were swept away in Naalehu in the Kau District of Hawaii Island during flash flooding on Saturday evening, according to CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB. Big Island responders rescued an elderly woman from one of the homes that was washed away, officials said Sunday.
Honolulu EMS transported more than 200 people to the hospital, authorities said at a news conference. At least three hospitals were operating on generator power, the governor said, adding damage to roads and several small bridges was making some places hard to reach.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said on social media that a search-and-rescue mission, including Civil Defense, the National Guard and Coast Guard, was launched after flash floods apparently swept several occupied homes off their foundations in the coastal communities of Na'alehu and Wai'ohinu, near the island's southern tip.
"What makes this very challenging is that there's rushing water, there's debris and there's boulders on the road and it's dark," he said.
At least one person was killed in a car accident in the southernmost point of the Big Island, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Sunday, but officials said it wasn't clear if it was storm-related and listed no confirmed storm-related deaths.
"Everyone is safe and healthy," said Green, a medical doctor who previously worked in emergency departments of remote hospitals on the Big Island. "But boy, a lot of work ahead."
More than 116,000 homes and businesses were without power across the state early Monday, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said there were reports of downed trees and power lines across the Big Island.
The agency implored people to "please stay indoors and off the roads."
All airports were open in Hawaii Sunday night. Hawaiian Airlines reported 52 cancellations statewide on Sunday. On Saturday, about 190 flights were paused or canceled.
About 240 Hawaii National Guard members were deployed to assist with emergency response, the state's emergency management agency said.
The Coast Guard reopened all of Hawaii's commercial ports Sunday night.
"While all commercial ports across the state are open to vessel traffic, our priority remains supporting post-storm recovery efforts and ensuring the safety of our maritime community," Cmdr. Jeffrey Padilla said in a statement. "We urge mariners and the public to exercise caution. There are still strong winds, rain, large waves and flood watches in place for many areas."
Maps show storm warnings, path
In its latest advisory Monday morning local time, the National Hurricane Center said Lala was about 360 miles west of Honolulu, which is located on the island of Oahu. It had sustained winds of 60 mph and was moving west at 12 mph, with tropical-storm-force winds extending as much as 105 miles from its center.
All hurricane warnings and watches were discontinued.
One to 3 inches more rain was possible from Maui to Kauai County, which could still result in localized areas of flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain, the advisory said.
"Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions will continue into Monday," the hurricane center warned, while large waves from Lala will keep trending down from east to west across Hawaii's waters through Monday.
