The Hawaii mudslide that swept through Waiohinu on the southern tip of the Big Island destroyed about a dozen homes after former Hurricane Lala drenched the islands over the weekend, officials and residents said Monday.
As Tropical Storm Lala tracked west and moved away from the state, communities were left to contend with extensive flooding, washed-out bridges and widespread power outages. In Waiohinu, residents described a wall of debris and mud roaring downslope.
“The boulders that were coming down were so heavy they were like shaking the ground,” resident Alice Birnbaum said, adding that her community had seen little outside assistance in the immediate aftermath. She said neighbors urgently need water, propane, fuel and food.
Hawaii mudslide follows torrential rain and damaging winds
Although Hawaii has not seen a direct hurricane landfall since Iniki in 1992, Lala’s eye passed about 30 miles off the Big Island’s coast over the weekend. The storm delivered wind gusts above 80 mph and extreme rainfall, with some locations reporting more than 3 feet. Kapalua in Maui County recorded 48 inches of rain.
By Monday night local time, roughly 71,000 customers across the Hawaiian Islands remained without electricity, according to outage tracking data. On the Big Island, damage to multiple bridges left several communities isolated.
With emergency crews unable to reach some areas, Waiohinu residents relied on one another for rescues and basic needs. One neighbor recounted that a family, including a young child, escaped moments before their home was swept away.
Closures and storm outlook
State officials said all state and Hawaii County government offices would remain closed Tuesday, along with public schools on Hawaii Island and courts and judiciary facilities there. Offices, most public schools, and courts in Oahu, Maui and Kauai counties are slated to reopen.
Lala weakened to a tropical storm but has been regaining strength over open Pacific waters. The National Hurricane Center said it was expected to become a hurricane again by Tuesday. As of Monday night, maximum sustained winds were 70 mph, up from earlier in the day and just below hurricane threshold.
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