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Lala strengthens into a hurricane and bears down on Hawaii’s Big Island with heavy rain, winds
Officials warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides as the storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane and shelters opened across the island.
- Hurricane Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds on Saturday, poised to strike the southern Big Island as the first direct hurricane threat in 155 years.
- Tropical storm winds extend 220 miles from the center, threatening Oahu and Kauai by Sunday morning, while forecasters predict 8 to 12 inches of rain across lower elevations and up to 25 inches on Mauna Kea's higher slopes.
- Officials warned residents in unpermitted structures to seek safe shelter as steep terrain faces life-threatening mudslides, while dry, breezy conditions outside the storm could trigger wildfires—a heightened concern following Lahaina's 2023 fire.
- Emergency shelters opened and events were canceled as Gov. Josh Green described the system as "an enormous storm." Authorities urged ranchers to move cattle to pastures rather than structures that may collapse.
- The Big Island has not experienced a direct hurricane landfall since 1871, when a Category 3 storm killed six people and destroyed thousands of homes. Warmer ocean temperatures and weakening upper-atmosphere winds are fueling increased Pacific hurricane activity this year.
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Although the hurricane will not pass through the rest of the islands, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency expects “dangerous weather conditions” over the weekend.
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With wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, Hurricane Lala sweeps towards the coast of Big Island. The worst is yet to come, warns the mayor of Hawaii County. There are life-threatening floods and landslides.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources71
Leaning Left18Leaning Right5Center33Last UpdatedBias Distribution59% Center
Bias Distribution
- 59% of the sources are Center
59% Center
L 32%
C 59%
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