Hurricane Lala Strikes Hawaii's Big Island, Killing One, Damaging Over 100 Homes

In mid-August 2026, Hurricane Lala approached Hawaii's Big Island, prompting Governor Josh Green to sign an emergency proclamation on August 13 that activated the state's Major Disaster Fund and the Hawaii National Guard. The National Hurricane Center had issued a hurricane watch as the storm was forecast to bring heavy rain, high winds, and dangerous surf beginning that weekend. The storm skirted the Big Island without a direct landfall but weakened to a tropical storm by August 16 after battering the island with hurricane-force gusts and heavy rainfall. Governor Green confirmed at least one death, identified as a 90-year-old woman who died in flooding, with early reports also citing a car accident death in the South Point area; officials said flooding and mudflows caused more severe damage than wind. More than 100 homes on the Big Island were destroyed or damaged, and floodwaters pushed some structures off their foundations. Power outages affected roughly 200,000 homes and businesses across the islands at the height of the storm. Emergency crews conducted numerous water rescues, including for a woman whose home was swept away by floodwater. Rainfall totals approached three feet in higher windward areas, raising concerns about mudslides on saturated slopes. By August 20, officials were monitoring a new system, Tropical Cyclone Two-C, forecast to strengthen and pass south of the islands, renewing flood concerns for Hawaii Island and Maui. Governor Green described the state as "bruised, not defeated" and announced recovery efforts, including more than $400,000 deployed by the Hawaii Community Foundation and a $3 million donation from UNIQLO founder Tadashi Yanai for Lala-affected communities. Flood watches and landslide concerns remained active following the storm. Some early reporting differed on the exact circumstances of the single confirmed death, variably describing it as a flooding-related fatality or a storm-linked car accident, a discrepancy that remains unresolved in public accounts.