Tens of thousands without power and more than 100 homes damaged as Tropical Storm Lala moves away from Hawaii

By Dalia Faheid, Karina Tsui, Chris Boyette, Meteorologists Tyler Ory and Dakota Smith

(CNN) — Tropical Storm Lala is moving away from Hawaii after bringing destructive flooding and strong winds over the weekend.

The storm was still hurling in a few bands of rain to Kauai early Monday, but its worst conditions are now over with, giving residents and officials space to deal with its aftermath.

More than 120,000 customers are still without power across the Hawaiian islands early Monday, according to poweroutage.us, after hurricane-force wind gusts swept across Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties.

At least 100 homes were damaged and lost in the storm, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said during a Sunday news conference.

In an update early Sunday, Mayor of Hawaii County Kimo Alameda said some homes were swept off their foundations and that the county’s civil defense was working with local agencies, along with the National Guard and Coast Guard, on a search and rescue.

Green announced that all state and county offices, schools, courts and Judiciary offices would be closed on Monday.

Exceptionally heavy rainfall, over 43 inches of it in the Big Island’s mountains, set off landslides and flash floods that wiped out roads on the island. Maui’s mountainous areas saw up to 2 feet of rain.

The Hawaii emergency management agency warned people to continue exercising caution after Lala passes “as deadly hazards remain, including flooded areas and downed power lines.”

Lala unleashed destructive flash flooding

Green on Saturday evening attributed a death from a car accident to the storm but said Sunday it was unclear whether it was connected to Lala.

Another person was found dead amid the storm, but it is also unclear how the person died and whether the death was storm-related, Green said.

In a video update Saturday night, Darryl Oliviera, Hawaii County’s acting civil defense administrator, said occupants of a vehicle stuck in floodwaters were being rescued, though he did not provide further details.

Rescue crews were able to save lives in their response by pulling an elderly woman out of a tree when her house washed away, Green said.

A “river of water” went through Naalehu on Hawaii, washing away “quite a lot,” the governor added.

In the southeastern side of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, parts of the Pāhala Highway collapsed overnight into Sunday –– cutting off critical access to an area where one of the region’s only hospitals is located.

Green said the wreckage on the highway created a new waterfall and caused damage to small bridges, while also cutting off power.

Aerial footage of the highway shows parts of it destroyed by what appears to be a massive landslide, where water and rocks have piled on.

Deborah Funai Brown, a lifelong resident of Pāhala, told CNN affiliate KHNL/KGMB that she witnessed a highway collapse, calling the event — which has left up to 2,500 residents trapped— “catastrophic.”

“We’ve always been stuck in the middle of nowhere so you kind of feel forgotten about when you’re out here, like you’re on an island by yourself,” Brown told the outlet.

The collapse occurred after floodwaters from the Pa’au’au Stream breached a rock wall and surged onto the highway, causing it to buckle.

Lala, which strengthened to a Category 1 storm Saturday, made its closest approach to Hawaii’s Big Island at around 5 p.m. local time, with its eyewall brushing the southern portion from roughly 30 miles away, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Videos obtained by CNN show streets flooded by torrential rainfall on the Big Island, which was drenched by multiple feet of rainfall in its higher elevations. More than 190 flights in and out of Hawaii been postponed over the weekend, while 52 were canceled, Green said, though airports across the state remained open.

Emergency responders were expected to be busy dealing with urgent matters as the storm passed Hawaii, with damage assessment expected to begin on Monday, the governor said.

A record number of road closures and prolonged power outages had been reported, according to Alameda.

Those widespread power outages and road closures have had major impacts on residents, Major General Stephen F. Logan, adjutant general for the state of Hawaii, told CNN’s Brian Abel.

The biggest challenge for crews working to restore power in affected areas is clearing downed trees that fell during the storm, Logan said.

He added state officials are confident they can take care of the massive cleanup effort after the storm but active-duty military are standing by in case they need assistance.

Hawaii residents cope with hurricane impacts

Across Hawaii, residents evacuated to designated shelters and scoured packed grocery stores as officials across several counties announced closures as the storm approached.

In Hilo, grocery stores and gas stations were busy as people stocked up on essentials, CNN affiliate KHNL/KGMB reported. Hawaii County offered sandbags for residents around the island. Around 130 people had fled to shelters Saturday, according to the mayor.

Many roads across the county continue to be closed due to downed trees, utility lines and landslides, according to the mayor’s office.

“While road crews are working hard to clear debris as conditions allow, we need all residents and visitors to heed all warnings, move into safe shelter, and stay off the roadways,” Alameda said.

And in Oahu, officials opened eight hurricane refuge areas as public facilities like the Honolulu Zoo shuttered.

Tropical storms approaching Hawaii typically hit cooler ocean temperatures before reaching the islands, but Lala remained over warmer water due to an ongoing marine heat wave extending to California and a developing Super El Niño.

El Niño is helping fuel increased storm potential in the central Pacific this year with warmer ocean temperatures and weaker winds in the upper atmosphere, which can normally break up storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast an above-average central Pacific season, with five to 13 cyclones expected.

Randy Collins, director of emergency management for the city and county of Honolulu, urged residents to be extra careful once the storm has passed and cleanup starts.

“Many casualties happen after the disaster. … As people are cleaning things up, they’re working with heavy equipment, chain saws, generators, they’re working around downed power lines and so forth. That’s when the casualties come,” he said. “I just want to encourage everyone as they are cleaning up to ensure that you are doing so in a safe manner.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

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