Hurricane Lala rages on Hawaii, tens of thousands without power

Hurricane Lala struck Hawaii's largest island, the Big Island, on Saturday evening local time, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain. By Sunday morning, an estimated 130,000 power customers were left without electricity as the storm battered the island, which is home to approximately 200,000 residents.

Local media reported widespread damage, including numerous downed trees, impassable roads due to severe flooding, and significant structural damage. Governor Josh Green stated that the roofs of 19 buildings had been blown off by the hurricane's force. The situation intensified Saturday evening when the National Weather Service issued a potentially life-threatening flash flood warning for parts of the island, with police reporting that several houses were washed away.

Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported thus far. The eye of the hurricane passed about 90 kilometers south of the Big Island, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). While the storm has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, the threat of further flooding and landslides remains. A weather station in Laupahoehoe recorded an astonishing 65 centimeters of rain in the last 36 hours, highlighting the extreme rainfall associated with Lala's passage.