Hurricane Lala Brings Flooding to Hawaii

Hurricane Lala passed close to Hawaii’s Big Island, producing severe rainfall, flash flooding, damaging winds and widespread power outages, although it did not make official landfall.

Unusually warm ocean temperatures and favorable El Niño conditions may have supported the storm’s strength, but the specific contribution of human-caused warming to Lala’s intensity remains uncertain. The event highlights Hawaii’s exposure to intense rainfall and disruptive tropical cyclones.