Tropical Storm Lala takes aim at Hawaii, hurricane warning issued for the Big Island
Tropical Storm Lala, which formed Thursday over the Pacific Ocean, is expected to reach hurricane force and bring extremely heavy rain, flooding and life-threatening surf and rip currents to the Hawaiian Islands this weekend, forecasters say.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the Big Island, with hurricane conditions expected there by early Saturday local time. A tropical storm watch is in place for Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.
In a worst-case scenario, Lala could pour 25 inches of rain onto the Big Island, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said.
"We're not exempt from these extreme weather conditions. So we've been here before, and messages have already gone out. But this could look like a big one," Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda told CBS News Friday morning. Hawaii County encompasses the Big Island, where the storm is expected to hit hardest.
Alameda noted that the greatest threats from the storm will vary for people in different parts of the island.
"If you live close to the shoreline, then it's high surf. If you live in a different area, could be high winds. But you know, there's also flooding involved too. So they're aware and messages went out. And now we're just bracing ourselves, preparing," he said.
The Miami-based hurricane center warned that wind speeds could be significantly higher in elevated areas and on the windward sides of slopes and mountains.
What's more, Lala could produce a storm surge as high as 3 feet along the coast, along with large waves and life-threatening rip current conditions.
In the latest advisory early Friday, Lala was located about 435 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and 650 miles east-southeast of Honolulu and was moving west-northwest at 10 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph.
Lala is "expected to produce rainfall totals of 8 to 12 inches across Maui and the Big Island with maximum totals of 25 inches possible across the Big Island," the hurricane center said, along with "rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 8 inches" across the rest of the islands. "This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain," the forecasters warned.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency Thursday anticipating Lala's arrival. His proclamation activated potential disaster relief funds and directed "all state agencies and officers to cooperate and extend their services, materials, and facilities as may be required to assist in emergency response efforts."
The National Park Service announced that most areas of Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island would close to visitors by Friday afternoon ahead of the storm's arrival.
