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Lala nears Hawaii
Tropical Storm Lala is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday, with a hurricane watch issued Thursday for the Big Island.
“maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and is approximately 455 miles east-southeast of Hilo”
As of 5 a.m. ET, Lala was moving west-northwest at 10 mph with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was approximately 455 miles east-southeast of Hilo, while hurricane warnings remained up for Hawaii County and tropical storm watches stayed in place for Maui County including Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.
ABC News said heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf impacts are likely this weekend, with heavy rainfall and gusty winds beginning to impact the Big Island Friday and the possibility of life-threatening mudslides and landslides especially across steep terrain.
The National Weather Service, as relayed by Big Island Video News, listed a forecast of 10-15 inches for eastern Big Island and 5-10 inches over the remainder of Big Island and eastern Maui, with locally higher amounts possible.
Big Island Video News also reported that Lala continues to steadily intensify, with peak 700 mb flight-level winds increasing to 61 kt and the pressure dropping to 997 mb, while the initial intensity was raised to 50 kt for the advisory.
Watches, warnings, preparations
Hawaii officials and agencies moved into storm readiness as Lala strengthened, with the City and County of Honolulu stepping up preparations and moving into an elevated operational posture beginning Friday morning.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi urged Oʻahu residents to finish preparations now rather than wait for a watch or warning to be issued, saying, “We still don’t know exactly what Lala will bring to our island, and that uncertainty is precisely why we need to remain prepared and vigilant.”
The City and County of Honolulu said it would activate its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the Honolulu Police Department’s Joint Operations Center (JOC) beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, and it also described CORE operations moving to 24-hour operations beginning at 7 a.m. Friday through the weekend.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that a hurricane warning is now in effect for Hawaii County, meaning hurricane conditions are expected somewhere on the Big Island by this weekend, and it said a tropical storm watch was also issued for Maui County including Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.
CNN added that Hawaii Gov. Josh Green declared a statewide emergency Thursday, allowing officials to activate the National Guard and access emergency funding as the state prepares for Lala.
Rain, winds, surge risks
Forecasters warned that Lala’s impacts could include life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with CNN saying the storm could unload 8 to 12 inches across Maui and the Big Island and isolated totals up to 25 inches possible on the Big Island.
“The storm could unload 8 to 12 inches across Maui and the Big Island”
CNN also said Lala could push 1 to 3 feet of storm surge water above normally dry ground along parts of the Big Island’s coast, while large, dangerous waves and rip currents could bring life-threatening surf and coastal flooding and significant beach erosion.
In parallel, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that hazards from the storm include rain totals of 8 to 12 inches across Maui and the Big Island with maximum totals of 25 inches possible across parts of the Big Island, and it warned that this rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.
The same Honolulu Star-Advertiser update said the water could reach 1 to 3 feet above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide, and it described the deepest water occurring along the immediate coast where the surge would be accompanied by large and dangerous waves.
For the timeline of when conditions might begin, KHON2 said impacts could begin as early as Friday night, with the Big Island and surrounding waters facing the greatest concern and a Hurricane Watch in effect for the Big Island and surrounding waters while Maui County was under a Tropical Storm Watch.
