Hurricane Lala, a Category 1 storm, closes in on Hawaii bringing heavy rain, wind

The storm is bringing heavy rain and damaging wind to the Big Island.

ByMegan Fahrney, Michelle Simmons, Jon Haworth, Kyle Reiman, Jason Volack, and Nadine El-Bawab

waii preparing for Hurricane LalaWith Hurricane Lala bearing down on Hawaii, strong waves are battering the islands, which have been placed under an announced flood watch.
Lala is churning through the central Pacific Ocean as a Category 1 hurricane, bearing down on the Big Island of Hawaii.

As of 5 a.m. ET, the storm is currently located about 65 miles west of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, or 130 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, and is tracking NW at 15 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Lala remains a Category 1 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. Hurricane warnings remain up for the Big Island, and tropical storm warnings remain up for the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands.

There is also a flash flood emergency ongoing for parts of the Big Island for ongoing life-threatening flash flooding. Local law enforcement reports that two homes were swept away due to the intense rainfall over Naalehu.

More than a foot of rain had been reported on the Big Island over the 12 hours through 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, according to the NHC.

More rain and damaging winds were expected to persist across the Big Island through the night and spread westward across the smaller islands on Sunday, according to the NHC.Hawaii County -- the Big Island -- remains under a hurricane warning, according to the NHC.

A vehicle approaches a downed utility pole dangling above Mamalahoa Highway during Hurricane Lala near Ocean View, Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. The tropical storm has strengthened into a hurricane as it approaches Hawaii, with up to 25 inches of rain possible on the island of Hawaii, commonly known as the Big Island. (Photo by )
San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty
Tropical storm warnings remain up for Maui, Oahu and Kauai Counties. These include the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Kauai and Niihau.

A flash flood warning has been issued for much of the Big Island, including the Hilo area, as bands of heavy rain move across the region.Flood watches are also in effect across the Hawaiian Islands for heavy rain that will continue ramping up on Saturday.

As of 10:30 ET, more than 44,000 customers across Hawaii were without power, including more than 32,000 customers on the Big Island, according to Hawaiian Electric.

Tropical Storm Lala continues to track through the central Pacific Ocean and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday.

The power company said residents should plan for possible extended outages, pointing to wind gusts of upward of 60 mph. The power company said trees and debris blown into power liens was the primary cause of the current outages.

Over 200 flights were canceled on Saturday across Hawaii as Lala approaches, according to FlightAware. Norwegian Cruise Line said some of its cruise itineraries will be impacted.

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As of 11 p.m. ET, Lala's eyewall -- the band of clouds surrounding the hurricane's eye -- had been "brushing" the southern portion of the Big Island, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm at that time had had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and was moving to the northwest at 9 mph, with its center located about 30 miles south-southeast of South Point, Hawaii, according to the NHC.

Hawaii braces for storm
At a press briefing on Friday, Hawaii officials urged residents to prepare for heavy rain, damaging winds and flooding.

PHOTO: US-HAWAII-WEATHER-HURRICANE
A resident looks at a young green sea turtle as ocean waters started to raise due to the approach of Tropical Storm Lala at Reed's Bay in Hilo, Hawaii on August 14, 2026. A strengthening tropical storm named Lala is set to hit Hawaii's Big Island with hurricane force on Saturday, bringing dangerous winds, rainfall and surf as the state's governor declared a state of emergency.
Jill K. Briggs/AFP via Getty Images
"This is a serious moment," Gov. Josh Green said Friday during the briefing with state, county and federal emergency officials.

About 180 Hawaii National Guard members were activated and positioned across the state to support rescue operations. High-water vehicles were also placed in each county, and additional military and federal resources were available if needed.Green signed an emergency proclamation allowing the state to quickly use resources from a $100 million disaster fund.

Schools and state education offices on Hawaii Island, Maui, Lanai and Molokai were closing for the weekend, with events canceled.

Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said shelters would be open and would accept pets. Beaches, parks, landfills and transfer stations were closing through Saturday, and mass transit service was being suspended.

Lala will begin to interact with the Big Island's high terrain and is forecasted to turn slightly north and track northwest to make a closer approach to the Big Island before turning back west and remaining south of the remaining Hawaiian islands.

A landfall is not currently guaranteed, as there's still some wiggle room with Lala's path. Regardless of whether Lala makes landfall or passes very close to the southern tip of the Big Island, the Hawaiian Islands will still see big impacts.

Torrential rain slamming parts of the Big Island could trigger life-threatening flash flooding, mudslides and landslides, especially across the areas with steep terrain.

Lala is forecasted to bring rainfall of 8 to 12 inches across eastern Maui and the Big Island, with the highest totals of 1-2 feet across the higher elevations of the Big Island, with isolated higher amounts possible. The remainder of the Hawaiian Islands are forecasted to receive 4 to 6 inches of rain on the eastern side and 2-4 inches on the western side of the islands.

Large and dangerous surf, especially on the Big Island, is also expected this weekend. The greatest impacts are expected along exposed windward and southern shores. The prolonged period of heavy surf may cause localized coastal flooding and significant beach erosion.