Hurricane Lala is threatening Hawaii’s Big Island with its first possible direct hit from a hurricane in 155 years. The National Hurricane Center said Lala’s maximum sustained winds increased to 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.
Preparations and Warnings
Gov. Josh Green noted rainfall of 2 inches an hour and advised people to shelter in place. Forecasters predicted higher elevations on the island could get as much as 25 inches of rain, potentially causing life-threatening mudslides.
Bobby Camara, a 75-year-old lifelong resident, planned to hunker down and prepare for the storm. Mike Caputo, a local fire captain, expressed concern about flash flooding and fallen trees, especially albizia trees, which can make roads impassable.
Impact and Response
The Big Island was under a hurricane warning, and tropical storm warnings were issued for other islands. Shelters were opened, events were canceled, and ranchers were urged to leave their cattle in pastures. The hurricane center predicted 8 to 12 inches of total rainfall across Maui and the lower elevations of the Big Island.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
