Hurricane Lala was pulling away from Hawaii’s Big Island early Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding.
“Damaging winds will persist across portions of the Big Island of Hawaii, with the strongest winds expected in areas of higher terrain,” the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said at 11.00pm local time (09:00 GMT Sunday), warning that the coast would be hit with “large and dangerous waves.”
Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, generating winds of up to 75 miles per hour (120 kilometres per hour).
Lala “appears to have peaked in intensity” when it passed near South Point of the Big Island in the afternoon, and did not make landfall.
“The hurricane could maintain its intensity for a few more hours, but weakening is expected by early Sunday as Lala continues to pull away from the Big Island,” NHC officials said.
Aside from the Big Island, a tropical storm warning was in place for the state’s seven other major islands: Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau.
A maximum storm total of 30 to 35 inches (76 to 89 centimetres) of rainfall was expected over the windward Big Island.
“Heavy rainfall, with life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain, will continue tonight into early Sunday over the Big Island and Maui,” officials warned.
The heavy rain and flood risk will then spread westward across the island chain on Sunday, according to the NHC.
Power outages were reported for more than 20,000 customers in Hawaii Saturday afternoon, with weather officials confirming “damaging winds and heavy rain” were spreading across the Big Island famed for surfing and tourism.
Swells generated by Lala would build through the weekend and are likely to cause “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
“It’s a serious storm,” Governor Josh Green said, proclaiming a state of emergency to ensure Hawaii and its counties “have sufficient resources to clear debris, secure infrastructure, and take other measures to prepare.”
