Gov. Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation Friday, with the National Guard on standby as Tropical Storm Lala approached Hawaiʻi and Big Island remained under a hurricane warning until 6 a.m. Sunday.
Forecasters said tropical-storm-force winds of 39 to 73 mph could hit Big Island Friday night, with the system possibly strengthening to 74 to 110 mph near the island on Saturday.
Southern Big Island was expected to take the brunt first, while Maui County could see strong winds by Saturday and Oʻahu and Kauaʻi later Saturday into Sunday, alongside heavy rain and flash-flood risk.
Officials opened or scheduled shelters across Big Island, Maui and Oʻahu, while Hawaiʻi County announced Saturday closures, Hawaiian Airlines canceled dozens of flights, and public schools shut campuses through the weekend.
The storm also raised fire concerns from strong, dry trade winds even as some areas stayed saturated from March Kona lows, underscoring the islands' exposure to overlapping hazards.