HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Lala was already whipping and soaking Hawaii's Big Island early Saturday, with forecasts saying it could strengthen into a hurricane or at the least bring hurricane-force winds as it approaches land.
The National Hurricane Center issued a rare hurricane warning for the island, which hasn't experienced a direct hurricane landfall in 155 years. Forecasters said higher elevations could get as much as 25 inches of rain, which could cause life-threatening mudslides in a mountainous area where people live off the grid in improvised housing.
"This is an enormous storm," Gov. Josh Green said. Tropical storm force winds extended outward for as much as 220 miles and were expected to hit the islands of Oahu and Kauai by Sunday morning.
State Rep. Jeanné Kapela traveled from Honolulu to be closer to her constituents on the Big Island and urged people to remain alert. The southern end of the island is remote and rural, with agriculture including coffee and cattle, but it's growing in population because of its affordability.
"If you feel now that your house doesn't have a great roof or might not be able to withstand hurricane force winds, then first things first you go to a family or friend's house and you kind of hunker down there," Kapela texted to The Associated Press as her flight took off Friday. "We're hopeful the storm moves through quickly, but we're preparing for whatever comes."
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive lawmakers and emergency management advocates emphasized the need for robust government response and concern for vulnerable populations. State Rep. Kapela noted that many parts of Hawaii are still dealing with the aftermath of devastating flooding in March. "We know how quickly heavy rain and flooding can impact our rural communities," she said.
Advocates pointed to residents living off the grid in unpermitted structures as particularly at-risk, urging authorities to prioritize outreach to these communities. The governor's office emphasized that shelters were scheduled to open across the island chain and urged all residents to take precautions regardless of whether they live in formal housing or informal settlements.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative voices emphasized local resilience and personal preparedness. Coffee farmer Bruce Corker, speaking from Holualoa on the west side of the Big Island, noted that while conditions appeared calm Friday, the prospect of "streams overflowing and high winds" was concerning but manageable with proper preparation.
"It doesn't take landfall to create destruction," said Vanessa Almanza, a weather service meteorologist in Honolulu. The National Hurricane Center urged residents to prepare for significant impacts regardless of whether Lala makes direct landfall as a hurricane, emphasizing that many of the most dangerous conditions occur outside the storm's center.
What the Numbers Show
As of 5 a.m. Saturday in Hawaii, Tropical Storm Lala was located about 110 miles southeast of South Point, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and moving toward the west-northwest at 13 mph.
The National Hurricane Center predicted 8 to 12 inches of rainfall totals across Maui and lower elevations of the Big Island, with 4 to 6 inches forecast for the broader island chain. Higher elevations could receive up to 25 inches of rain.
According to University of Hawaii atmospheric scientist Steven Businger's research of newspaper accounts, a Category 3 hurricane hit the northeast corner of the island in 1871 — the last direct hurricane landfall on the Big Island until now. The NHC noted that wind speeds atop mountains and on slopes are often up to 30 percent stronger than near-surface winds indicated in advisories.
The Bottom Line
Tropical Storm Lala represents an unprecedented weather event for Hawaii's Big Island, which has not experienced a direct hurricane landfall in over a century and a half. Emergency management officials at the state level have urged all residents to prepare, with particular attention to those in remote areas and informal housing.
The storm's large wind field means impacts could be felt across multiple islands even if the Big Island bears the brunt of the system. Officials are watching closely to see whether Lala intensifies into a hurricane before making its closest approach to land. Residents should monitor updates from the National Hurricane Center and local emergency management agencies.