Hawaii Avoids a Rare Hurricane Hit — But Storm Lala Still Kills One and Destroys Over 100 Homes

Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm — a less powerful cyclone — after passing the Big Island's southern tip on August 16, narrowly avoiding Hawaii's first direct hurricane landfall in 155 years. Still, Governor Josh Green confirmed one death in South Point, where over 100 homes were destroyed. Floods swept houses off their foundations in Na'alehu and Wai'ohinu. Over 200,000 people lost power across three islands; three hospitals ran on backup generators. The storm showed how Hawaii's volcanic landscape can make wind and rain worse than a hurricane's category would suggest.