One dead as flash floods from Hurricane Lala hit Hawaii's Big Island
Flash floods and mudslides triggered by Hurricane Lala swept away more than 100 properties on Hawaii's Big Island, killing one person in a car crash.
Hawaii's Big Island has been battered by flash floods and mudslides after Category One Hurricane Lala passed nearby, uprooting more than 100 properties from their foundations. One person died in a car accident during the storm, though Governor Josh Green said it was fortunate that no wider loss of life appeared to have occurred.
Even though the storm never made landfall, it dumped as much as 32 inches (81cm) of rain in some areas, sending torrents of water rushing down mountainsides. More than 200,000 households lost power as a result of the storm.
Storm weakens but risk remains
Lala has since weakened to a tropical storm and is now tracking westward, south of Hawaii, but officials say the danger has not fully passed. The storm's eyewall came within about 30 miles (48km) of Big Island's South Point overnight, close enough to trigger flash flooding, Hawaii County reported on Sunday.
The storm reached hurricane strength on Saturday afternoon, with winds of 91mph. By the National Hurricane Center's latest advisory, issued at 20:00 EDT (00:00 GMT) on Sunday, its winds had eased to around 65mph.
