Why It Matters
Hurricane Lala’s passage near Hawaiʻi island triggered widespread power outages, road closures, and flooding risks across the state’s largest island, testing emergency response systems and exposing vulnerabilities in infrastructure resilience as severe weather patterns intensify in the Pacific.
What Happened
The eye of Hurricane Lala passed the southern tip of Hawaiʻi island on Saturday evening without making landfall, according to the National Weather Service. Despite missing direct impact, the storm produced damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and dangerous conditions that persisted through Sunday morning.
One person died in a head-on car collision at Hawaiian Ocean View Estates on Saturday afternoon. Three others were injured when a falling tree struck them in Puna; all were transported to Hilo Medical Center. Damaging winds were expected to continue overnight and spread westward through Sunday.
Power outages affected residents across multiple islands. Approximately 60,000 people lost electricity islandwide on Hawaiʻi island, with more than 30,000 customers in Hilo, Kona, Kohala, Hāmākua, and Puna left without service. Four HECO independent power providers on Hawaiʻi island disconnected from the electrical grid due to storm damage. Across the state, roughly 44,000 Hawaiian Electric customers were without power as of Saturday afternoon, though utility crews restored power to more than 42,000 customers.
Additional power losses occurred on neighboring islands: approximately 3,300 customers on Maui and roughly 8,400 on Oʻahu experienced outages. The Hawaiʻi Department of Water Supply issued an Essential Needs Only Notice in response to conditions.
Transportation infrastructure sustained significant damage. More than 30 roads on the Big Island were closed to traffic. A landslide blocked one lane of Hawaiʻi Belt Road in North Hilo at the 28-mile mark. Big Island Mayor Kimo Alameda stated that “we’re feeling the impacts,” reflecting the scale of disruption across communities.
By the Numbers
60,000 — people who lost power islandwide on Hawaiʻi island
30+ — roads closed on the Big Island
44,000 — Hawaiian Electric customers without power statewide as of Saturday, 3 p.m.
16.2 feet — height of Wailuku River in Hilo by Saturday morning (up from 3.4 feet Friday evening)
1 to 3 feet — projected storm surge and tidal flooding on Big Island coastlines
155 years — time since the last hurricane made landfall on Hawaiʻi island
Zoom Out
Hawaiʻi faces an extended period without major hurricane landfalls—the last occurred 155 years ago—yet the islands remain in an active tropical storm zone. The state’s vulnerability to severe weather has become more apparent in recent years, with infrastructure systems tested by increasingly intense Pacific storms. Hawaiʻi’s preparedness gap has been exposed by Kona Low storms, revealing systemic weaknesses in grid resilience and disaster response coordination across the islands.
The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in steep terrain areas, underscoring risks that extend beyond immediate storm impact to longer-term geological hazards.
What’s Next
Utility crews continue restoration efforts across the islands, with priority given to critical infrastructure and populated areas. The Hawaiʻi Department of Water Supply’s Essential Needs Only Notice remains in effect pending restoration of normal water-system operations. County and state officials are assessing damage from road closures and evaluating infrastructure repairs, particularly for the Hawaiʻi Belt Road and affected electrical systems.