Tropical Storm Lala Triggers Maui Flash Flood Warning as 65 mph Winds Lash Oʻahu and Kauaʻi
Updated
Updated · Maui Now · Aug 16
Tropical Storm Lala Triggers Maui Flash Flood Warning as 65 mph Winds Lash Oʻahu and Kauaʻi
3 articles · Updated · Maui Now · Aug 16
Summary
Eastern Maui was put under a Flash Flood Warning until 2:45 p.m. HST after radar showed rain falling at 2 to 3 inches per hour near Kīpahulu and Hāna.
Lala’s outer bands were spreading heavy rain and gusty winds across Maui County, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, with the storm centered 140 miles west of Honolulu and carrying 65 mph sustained winds.
Tropical Storm Warnings remained in effect for Maui County, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi County, while the Big Island warning was canceled as rainfall there eased to 1 inch per hour or less.
Flood risk stayed elevated because soils were already saturated by 15 to 35 inches of rain on the Big Island and 6 to 10 inches on Maui, with another 2 to 4 inches forecast for the smaller islands and isolated totals up to 6 inches.
Forecasters said Lala should track west through Tuesday, could regain hurricane strength by Tuesday or Wednesday, and will keep dangerous surf, rip currents, beach erosion and localized damaging winds in play.
With Lala threatening to regain hurricane strength, how will Hawaii's saturated infrastructure survive the compounding threat of massive mudslides and coastal erosion?
As extreme rainfall isolates remote Hawaiian communities, what hidden climatic factors are driving this storm's unpredictable and relentless path across the islands?