Hurricane Lala struck Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday, bringing dangerous winds, torrential rain and widespread power outages in what may be the archipelago's first direct hurricane landfall in more than 150 years. The Category 1 storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h), tracked over or near the island's southern tip, with its eye wall brushing the southern portion of Big Island by late afternoon. More than 42,000 utility customers across the state lost power, the majority of them on Big Island itself.

Forecasters warned that higher elevations on Big Island — dominated by Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano rising nearly 14,000 feet above sea level — could receive up to 25 inches (63.5 cm) of rainfall, with 8 to 12 inches expected across eastern Maui and lesser amounts further along the island chain. The National Hurricane Center cautioned that the rain would produce "life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain." A hurricane warning remained in effect for Big Island, while tropical storm warnings covered Maui County, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau. Airports across the state were closed or severely disrupted, with up to 80% of flights cancelled at Hilo International Airport and 40% grounded at Ellison Onizuka Kona International. Commercial ports on Hawaii Island, Maui County and Kauai were also shut.

Governor Josh Green urged residents to shelter in place, noting rainfall rates of around 2 inches per hour and warning of "an incredible amount of water." On the ground, landslides had already cut off roads on Big Island, power lines were down from fallen trees, and rivers had risen dramatically. A meteorologist in Hilo, the island's main eastern city, described the normally blue bay turning a deep red from sediment carried in by swollen rivers. Hawaiian Electric warned customers to prepare for extended overnight outages, with crews assessing damage across a 42-mile stretch of transmission lines on the Hamakua Coast where multiple poles had been knocked over by falling trees.

Authorities also flagged the risk of wildfires fanned by strong, dry winds on the fringes of the storm — a concern heightened by memory of the August 2023 fire that devastated the historic Maui town of Lahaina during high winds as a different hurricane passed far to the south. Shelters were opened, public events cancelled, and ranchers advised to leave livestock in open pastures rather than structures at risk of collapse. The storm was projected to weaken and continue moving westward through the weekend, exposing the other islands in the chain to tropical storm conditions. The last hurricane to make direct landfall in Hawaii was Hurricane Iniki, which struck the island of Kauai as a powerful Category 4 storm in 1992, killing six people and causing an estimated $3 billion in damage.