Tens of thousands without power and more than 100 homes damaged as Tropical Storm Lala moves away from Hawaii
CNN, KGMB, KHNL, KITV, SEAN YARBENET, HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
By Dalia Faheid, Karina Tsui, Chris Boyette, Meteorologists Tyler Ory and Dakota Smith
(CNN) — Tropical Storm Lala has moved away from Hawaii after bringing destructive flooding and strong winds over the weekend.
The storm’s last few bands of rain departed Kauai early Monday, giving residents and officials across the islands space to deal with its aftermath.
Exceptionally heavy rainfall, over 3 and a half feet of it in the Big Island’s mountains, set off landslides and flash floods that wiped out roads on the island and swept at least one home entirely off its foundation. Maui’s mountainous areas saw up to 2 feet of rain.
Over 100 homes were “damaged and lost” in the storm on the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said during a Sunday news conference.
More than 100,000 customers are still without power across the Hawaiian islands early Monday, according to PowerOutage.com, after hurricane-force wind gusts swept across Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties.
Power restoration in some areas could take days or longer as major transmission lines were down, Mayor of Hawaii County Kimo Alameda said in a Sunday afternoon news conference. Main lines must be repaired on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu, according to utility company Hawaiian Electric.
All state and county offices, schools, courts and judiciary offices are closed Monday, Green announced. Hawaii’s emergency management agency has warned people to continue exercising caution “as deadly hazards remain, including flooded areas and downed power lines.”
Lala, which strengthened to a Category 1 storm Saturday, made its closest approach to Hawaii’s Big Island at around 5 p.m. local time, with its eyewall brushing the southern portion from roughly 30 miles away, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Tropical storms approaching Hawaii typically hit cooler ocean temperatures before reaching the islands, but Lala remained over warmer water due to an ongoing marine heat wave extending to California and a developing Super El Niño.
Lala unleashed destructive flash flooding
One person was found dead amid the storm, but it is unclear how the person died and whether the death was storm-related, according to the governor. A previously reported death from a car accident Saturday is not believed to be related to the hurricane as it happened before major impacts, Hawaii Fire Department temporary Chief Daniel Volpe said in a Sunday afternoon news conference.
Videos obtained by CNN show streets flooded by torrential rainfall on the Big Island.
In the Kaʻū area, floodwater pushed at least two homes off their foundations, Volpe said. One of the homes was carried a few hundred yards away and a woman attempting to reach her vehicle outside the home was also swept up, he said. She was taken to the hospital with “moderate injuries.”
The second home was “shoved” partly off its base, Volpe said, noting the information is based on eyewitness accounts and authorities are still determining what happened.
An ambulance crew responding to a reported emergency on the island became stranded when their truck was overtaken by floodwater and pushed up against a guard rail, Volpe said. The crew escaped by climbing on top of the ambulance and then into a National Guard high-water vehicle that had accompanied them.
Mangled power lines, roadways and bridges
A record number of road closures and prolonged power outages were reported on the Big Island, according to Alameda. Six bridges were destroyed or “almost destroyed” in the Kaʻū area, Alameda said, describing it as “devastation.”
Farther south, a “river of water” went through the Naalehu area, washing away “quite a lot,” Green said Sunday.
In the southeastern side of the Big Island, parts of the Pāhala Highway collapsed overnight into Sunday –– cutting off critical access to an area where one of the region’s only hospitals is located.
Green said the wreckage on the highway created a new waterfall and caused damage to small bridges, while also cutting off power. Aerial footage of the highway shows parts of it destroyed by what appears to be a massive landslide.
Deborah Funai Brown, a lifelong resident of Pāhala, told CNN affiliate KHNL/KGMB that she witnessed a highway collapse, calling the event — which has left up to 2,500 residents trapped — “catastrophic.”
“We’ve always been stuck in the middle of nowhere so you kind of feel forgotten about when you’re out here, like you’re on an island by yourself,” Brown told the outlet.
The collapse occurred after floodwaters from the Pa’au’au Stream breached a rock wall and surged onto the highway, causing it to buckle.
Many roads across the county continue to be closed due to downed trees, utility lines and landslides, according to the mayor’s office.
“While road crews are working hard to clear debris as conditions allow, we need all residents and visitors to heed all warnings, move into safe shelter, and stay off the roadways,” Alameda said.
Randy Collins, director of emergency management for the city and county of Honolulu, urged residents to be extra careful once the storm has passed and cleanup starts.
“Many casualties happen after the disaster … As people are cleaning things up, they’re working with heavy equipment, chain saws, generators, they’re working around downed power lines and so forth. That’s when the casualties come,” he said. “I just want to encourage everyone as they are cleaning up to ensure that you are doing so in a safe manner.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Kate S. Petersen, Nic F. Anderson, Amanda Jackson, Cindy Von Quednow, Karina Tsui and Andrew Freedman contributed to this report.
