The storm nonetheless delivered serious damage as it passed just south of the island on August 15 as a category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale.
Lala brought rainfall totals exceeding 20 inches to parts of the island, causing flash flooding and ongoing mudflow risks.
The highest rainfall total for the storm—43.55 inches as of the morning of August 17—was recorded at Laupāhoehoe, on the coast northwest of Hilo.
Lala downed trees, damaged bridges, and knockedhomes off their foundations.
Coastal areas were pummeled by large waves, while the summit of Mauna Kea, over 13,000 feet above sea level, experiencedblizzard conditions.
By early afternoon on August 16, when the other image was acquired, the storm had tracked northwest, roughly parallel to the island chain, and was southwest of Kaua‘i.
Lala had decreased in intensity to a tropical storm, with sustained winds of 65 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
While the Island of Hawai‘i took the brunt of the storm, other islands also saw destructive effects.
Strong winds caused widespread power outages, with more than220,000 customersstatewide without power as of the afternoon of August 16, according to news reports.
Across the islands, wind and rain damaged infrastructure, and floodwaters and debris rendered roads impassable.
It has been an active tropical cyclone season in the Eastern Pacific so far in 2026, meteorologists note, consistent with what scientists expect during anEl Niño, which has beenunderwayas of mid-June.
Warm water in the equatorial Pacific—the hallmark of El Niño—and the moisture and energy it transfers to the atmosphere help fuel nascent tropical storms.
Lack ofwind shear, another typical El Niño pattern in this region, also encourages tropical storms to develop and strengthen.
The Atlantic hurricane season, in contrast, has beenrelatively calm, as greater wind shear over the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea during an El Niño inhibits hurricane formation by dissipating the upward motion of heat.
NASA Earth Observatory images byLauren Dauphin, using VIIRS data fromNASAEOSDIS LANCE,GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System. Story by Lindsey Doermann.
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AccuWeatherLala’s recent close encounter with Hawaii continues to cause trouble Monday. Accessed August 17, 2026.
Colorado State UniversityNorthern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclone Activity for 2026. Accessed August 17, 2026.
Honolulu Civil BeatLala’s Wrath: Homes Swept Away, Some Power Outages May Last Months. Accessed August 17, 2026.
National Hurricane CenterHurricane LALA Advisory Archive. Accessed August 17, 2026.
Yale Climate ConnectionsTropical Storm Lala heads toward Hawaii; life-threatening floods possible. Accessed August 17, 2026.
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