Hawaii braces for potential first direct hit by a hurricane in 34 years
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- Hurricane Lala reached Category 1 strength on Saturday with 75mph winds, prompting a hurricane warning for Big Island and tropical storm warnings for Maui County, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi and Niʻihau
- The National Weather Service forecast up to 25 inches of rain on Big Island and a 3-foot storm surge in worst-case scenarios, warning of "life-threatening" floods and mudslides
- Governor Josh Green warned Hawaii would see "an incredible amount of water" and urged residents to complete storm preparations before conditions worsened
- Flight cancellations hit Big Island hard, with 40% of flights grounded at Ellison Onizuka Kona International and 80% called off at Hilo International, per flightaware.com
- Big Island has not had a hurricane make direct landfall in 155 years, according to the Associated Press — a separate, longer drought than the 34-year statewide figure
- Hurricane Iniki in 1992, the last hurricane to strike Hawaii, was a Category 4 storm that caused six deaths and $3 billion in damage after hitting the southern coast of Kauai
Why it matters: Big Island hasn't seen a direct hurricane landfall in 155 years, per the AP — so a confirmed hit would be historically unprecedented for residents there, while the 80% flight grounding at Hilo International already signals major disruption to island logistics ahead of the worst-case 25-inch rainfall scenario.
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