Jennifer Sinco Kelleher
Honululu: Tropical Storm Lala is expected to strengthen to a hurricane before reaching Hawaii’s Big Island this weekend, bringing heavy rains that can cause destructive flooding, and strong winds that can fuel wildfires.
The US National Hurricane Centre said Lala should be at hurricane strength by the time it approaches the Big Island early Saturday local time (Saturday night AEST).
If it makes landfall there, it would be the first to do so since 1871. Back then, according to a professor’s research of newspaper accounts, a category 3 hurricane hit the north-east corner of the island, said Vanessa Almanza, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
“First time since satellites,” Almanza said. “The latest forecast has it very close to the southern tip of the Big Island.”
A hurricane warning was issued for the Big Island, and a tropical storm warning was in effect for Maui County, which includes the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe.
Officials and residents braced for Lala regardless of whether Hawaii takes a direct hit. Shelters were scheduled to open, and various events were cancelled.
“It doesn’t take landfall to create destruction,” Almanza said. “A lot of the impacts are felt outside of the hurricane.”
The National Hurricane Centre predicted 20.3 to 30.5 centimetres of rainfall totals across Maui and the Big Island, with maximum totals as high as 63.5 centimetres in some spots on the Big Island, while 10.2 to 15.2 centimetres were expected across the island chain.
The centre also warned that the storm could cause “life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain”, along with a dangerous storm surge and ocean swells “likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions”.
State Representative Jeanne Kapela, who represents communities that are in the storm’s possible track, travelled to the Big Island from Honolulu on Friday morning, local time, and called for people to be on alert.
The southern end of the island is remote and rural but growing in population because of its affordability. Kapela said she was especially worried about people who live off the grid in unpermitted structures. The area’s agriculture includes coffee and cattle.
“We’re encouraging residents to take this storm seriously, remain vigilant and get somewhere safe before conditions deteriorate,” she said. “We’re hopeful the storm moves through quickly but we’re preparing for whatever comes.”
Kapela also noted that many parts of the state are still reeling from devastating flooding in March, saying, “We know how quickly heavy rain and flooding can impact our rural communities.”
Brian Miyamoto, executive director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau, said growers were always concerned when there was a threat of a lot of water in a short amount of time. But those still recovering from the spring floods, including on Oahu’s North Shore, were worried about suffering more damage.
Coffee farmer Bruce Corker said it was “sunny and beautiful” on Friday, local time, in Holualoa, on the west side of the Big Island, and the island’s only Costco seemed normal a day earlier. Still, he said, the prospect of “streams overflowing and high winds” was worrisome.
As winds ramped up across the islands there were no red-flag warnings in place but Almanza said the dry and breezy conditions would still elevate fire concerns.
In 2023 the Maui town of Lahaina burned during extreme winds amid a hurricane passing far to the south of Hawaii.
“Since the fire everybody is way more aware of weather in general and our environment and things that are happening,” said Archie Kalepa of Lahaina, who is well-known in the area for his surfing, paddling and other ocean skills, and has been watching the storm closely.
As of 1pm AEST on Saturday, Tropical Storm Lala was located about 380 kilometres east-south-east of South Point, Hawaii, and 710 kilometres from Honululu, according to the National Hurricane Centre. It had maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h and was moving towards the west-north-west at 19 km/h.
The wind-speed threshold for a category 1 hurricane is 46 km/h.
AP
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