Hurricane Lala slammed Hawaii with bands of heavy rain, high winds and pounding waves, becoming one of the most impactful storms for the Big Island in over 150 years.

Storm's History

Lala got its start as a tropical wave several thousand miles east-southeast of Hawaii in early August, then became a tropical storm on August 13 after consolidating on the northern edge of the tropical wave. Tropical Storm Lala slowly strengthened in the following days.

Either tropical storm or hurricane warnings would be issued for the entire state.

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The storm made its closest approach to the Big Island late on August 15 as a Category 1 hurricane.

Lala's eyewall brushed the south side of the Big Island. Lala never made an official landfall on Hawaii, yet major impacts were still felt. Had Lala made landfall, it would have been the first hurricane landfall on the Big Island since at least 1871.

Lala has become only the fifth hurricane since 1957 to pass within 70 miles of the Big Island, according to NOAA's historical database, joining 2024's Hone, 2020's Douglas, 2014's Iselle and 1957's Kanoa.

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(MORE: Hawaii hurricanes aren't as unusual as they sound)

The storm later spread its impacts westward from Maui toward Honolulu to Kauai as a slightly weaker storm. Lala weakened slightly after its interaction with the Big Island.

Lala's track was guided by a crossover of meteorology and topography. The Pacific high pressure system anchored over the north Pacific pushed Lala west-northwest until the hurricane bumped into the Big Island, when topography etched a few subtle turns in the storm's track.

Lala continued westward through the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii.

Landfall or not, major impacts were felt across the islands.

Storm impacts

Lala's center path just to the south of Hawaii put the island chain directly in Lala's "dirty side", which is the area in a storm that often packs the worst wind and storm surge as the wind blows directly toward land.

Flooding was the most serious impact across the state.

The highest rainfall totals were reported at Laupahoehoe on the Big Island's northern coast, which saw an impressive 43.54 inches between August 14-16.

More than 31 of that storm total occurred in just 24 hours. Nahuku, on the southeastern side of the Big Island, saw more than 35 inches. Hilo International Airport reported a rainfall storm total of nearly 10 inches.

Flooding closed some roads in the city of Hilo and to the south near Mountain View and Hawaiian Paradise.

In the Naalehu District on the southern portion of the Big Island, a flash flood emergency was issued late on Aug. 15 into the following morning. Two homes were swept away, and rainfall rates approached 5 inches per hour.

The remaining islands saw rainfall totals up to 10 inches across lower elevations, with rainfall totals topping a foot across highest peaks and summits.

Honolulu County saw a flash flood warning issued early on August 16 that heavy rainfall rates caused local streams like Manoa to have record stream flow, "likely causing considerable impacts".

Lala even brought snow to the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island. Winds on Mauna Kea, Hawaii's taller volcano, reached 140 mph. Wind chills dropped into the 20s. These high-end gusts are common atop the 13,803-foot peak.

Strong winds downed trees and power lines, blocking roads on parts of the Big Island. Hundreds of trees were toppled.

Some 200,000 customers lost power due to the strong winds.

El Niño's impact

Hurricane Lala undoubtedly benefited from the warmer water of the Pacific and those waters increased the chances of any storm impacting Hawaii from the east. Water temperatures ahead of Lala's passing were around 3 degrees warmer than average.

The combined impacts of these warmer waters and climate change also likely increased rainfall of the Hawaiian Islands.

This strengthening El Niño and warmer-than-average ocean water both usually spell a more active central Pacific hurricane season.

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