Category 1 Hurricane Lala moved past Big Island on 15 August 2026, delivering an intense mixture of rain and wind that sparked flash floods and terrible mudslides.
Although the eye never made landfall, the storm dumped up to 35 inches of rain in places, blasting torrents down the islands’ steep valleys.
Power outages cut more than 200,000 households, while two homes were swept away, prompting a search‑and‑rescue operation led by the county civil‑defence office.
One driver lost his life when a sudden surge of water slammed into his vehicle on a rural road.
Tropical‑storm warnings remain in effect across all eight of Hawaii’s major islands as wind speeds approach 65 mph.
The National Hurricane Centre expects another 4 to 8 inches of rain over the Big Island, with up to 30 to 35 inches total across lower elevations.
180 National Guard members have been deployed to support emergency response and rescue work, while 219,000 customers are still without electricity.
Hawaii’s two main airports closed but have since reopened and 190 flights were postponed by the governor’s order. A few hospitals lost power but were kept running on backup generators.
Lower-level islands have also experienced disruptions: some residents in Maui had water supplies cut off late Saturday, and the National Weather Service reported at least one home lost to flood damage.
The last major hurricane to hit Hawaii—and the last to claim lives—was 1992’s Iniki, a Category 4 storm that caused six deaths and $3 bn in damage.
With a strong El Niño winter heating ocean temperatures, the U.S. is anticipating a sharper hurricane season, which could amplify future storm intensity.
