Residents and emergency crews across Hawaii were assessing damage and clearing debris on Monday as Tropical Storm Lala moved away from the islands after leaving widespread power outages and flooding in its wake.
The storm weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm Sunday as it tracked west away from Hawaii. But forecasters and officials warned that hazards will linger in several areas. At least 100 homes were destroyed or lost in the storm as floodwaters inundated communities.
The storm prompted hundreds of emergency responses over the weekend, including reports of downed trees, damaged roofs, fallen power lines and water rescues. More than 126,000 homes and businesses were without power Monday morning, according to the most recent
update from Hawaiian Electric.
The National Hurricane Center discontinued tropical storm warnings for Maui County and Oahu, leaving Kauai County as the only area under a tropical storm warning on Sunday. Forecasters said the storm could strengthen again and regain hurricane status later this week as it moves farther west across the Central Pacific.
Flooding, mudslides and hazardous surf remain concerns even as the storm departs. Forecasters warned that additional rainfall and saturated ground could prolong impacts, while large swells generated by Lala are expected to keep creating dangerous surf and rip current conditions into Monday.
Hawaii power outages continue
06:42 AM ET, August 17 2026, Thao NguyenThousands of homes and businesses remain without power Monday as strong winds and heavy rain downed power lines.
Hawaiian Electric, the utility company serving much of the island chain, reported that roughly 64,107 customers on Oahu; 41,183 on the Big Island; and 8,963 on Maui remained in the dark as of 12:40 a.m. local time Monday.
"Customers on Hawaii Island are being asked to prepare for extended outages in the hardest hit rural areas of the island," the company said in a statement.
Several main transmission lines were impacted on Hawaii Island, Maui and Oahu, according to Hawaiian Electric. It noted that some transmission lines cross remote terrain and mountainous areas, "making repairs challenging and lengthy."
Check out how many people are impacted by the outages on the real-time maps:
- Oahu outage map
- Maui outage map
- Big Island outage map
Officials: No storm-related deaths reported
06:33 AM ET, August 17 2026, Thao NguyenHawaii officials said Sunday that no storm-related deaths had been reported following Lala's passage.
"Right now, there's no reports of storm-related fatalities, and we pray that remains true," Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said at a news conference Sunday.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said one person died in a car crash during the storm but noted that officials had not determined whether the incident was connected to weather conditions caused by Lala. The incident occurred near the South Point area of the Big Island on Saturday.
According to the Hawaii Police Department, a 45-year-old man was driving on Aloha Boulevard when his vehicle crossed the center line and collided head-on with a vehicle driven by a 21-year-old woman. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the woman was hospitalized in critical condition.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Lala moves on, flooding dangers linger across Hawaii. Live updates
