
Hurricane Lala Destroys Homes and Roads Across Hawaii
Hurricane Lala did not make landfall, but left behind destroyed roads and homes across Hawaii. Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm after moving away from the Big Island.

Hurricane Lala did not make landfall, but left behind destroyed roads and homes across Hawaii. Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm after moving away from the Big Island.

The storm narrowly missed land, but its outer bands left the Big Island with power outages, road closures and flooded homes.

Rescuers found a 29-year-old man in serious condition on the volcano’s eastern slope on Sunday. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital in Catania.

We explain the climate phenomenon.

Residents of Pahala were stranded after parts of a key highway collapsed under heavy rain. All roads leading to the town and its hospital, on the southern end of the Big Island, are now blocked.

The city on the eastern side of the island of Hawaii flooded on Saturday night, and powerful winds toppled branches onto homes and power lines.

Since last week, hazardous weather has caused seven deaths, forced people from their homes and required some to be rescued by boat. The region was at risk for more flooding on Sunday.

Tropical Storm Lala damaged 16 transmission lines and many towers on Hawaii’s Big Island, the state’s main utility said.

An El Niño weather pattern is expected to limit activity into the fall, providing a stabilizing force.

With Atlantic activity down this season, rare Pacific missions are being undertaken to better understand the storm skirting Hawaii.