Hawaii's Big Island is under a hurricane warning as Tropical Storm Lala approaches, with the storm's core expected to pass the island on Saturday, August 15 [1]. As of the Saturday-morning forecast, Lala carried maximum sustained winds near 65 mph, with higher gusts, and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane before impact [1].
The rain is the headline threat. Forecasters expect 8 to 12 inches across Maui and the Big Island, with up to 25 inches possible on the Big Island [1]. After passing the Big Island, Lala is forecast to reach south of the smaller islands on Sunday [1].
Governor Josh Green moved ahead of the storm, declaring a state of emergency on Thursday, August 13, a step that activated potential disaster relief funds and directed state agencies to cooperate [1]. Separately, on Friday the state announced that its National Guard was prepared to support the response [1]. Green warned residents of 'an incredible amount of water' and the 'possibility of major power outages' [1].
The reason a tropical storm draws this much preparation sits in the record. The last hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii was Iniki in 1992, which struck as a powerful Category 4 and caused six deaths and $3 billion in damage [1]. That is the event the state's early declaration and standing warning are measured against. The people who benefit are Big Island and Maui residents with time to prepare. The open cost is what a strengthening storm and up to 25 inches of rain do once the core arrives.
