Hurricane Lala was a Category 1 hurricane. Now, it is a tropical storm. The storm passed south of the Big Island in Hawaii. It did not hit the island directly, but it was very close. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) gave a hurricane warning to the Big Island. This is a very rare event. The Big Island has not had a direct hurricane landfall in 155 years.
The storm brought strong winds and heavy rain. Experts said that up to one metre of rain could fall on the high slopes of the island. This heavy rain can cause flash flooding and mudslides. These are very dangerous for people living near mountains. The wind was also very strong. In the town of Waimea, a resident named Christine Matsuda said the wind shook her whole house every few minutes.
The storm caused many problems for people. More than 60,000 households lost electricity because of the wind. Three hospitals had to use generator power to keep their medical equipment working. This was very important for patient safety.
Sadly, one person died in a car accident in the South Point area. The heavy rain and wind made the roads very dangerous for drivers. Now, the storm is a tropical storm, but the danger is not over. Officials are still watching the weather. They are worried about more flooding on the windward slopes. They are also working to fix the power for the 60,000 homes without electricity.