Tropical Storm Lala is gaining strength in the Pacific, and experts caution that it might soon transform into the first hurricane on record to impact Hawaii’s Big Island.
On Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) revised the storm’s projected path and intensity, indicating that Lala is expected to reach hurricane force by early Saturday morning.
Amos Lonokailua-Hewett, the Administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, emphasized, “Lala is intensifying, and it is crucial for residents to be ready for the potential of severe winds, torrential rain, flooding, and substantial waves.”
This occurrence would be unprecedented, marking the first recorded instance of a hurricane making landfall on Hawaii’s Big Island since the commencement of precise weather documentation in the 20th century.
AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell noted, “Hawaii’s Big Island has never experienced a hurricane making landfall. Only Tropical Storms Darby in 2016 and Iselle in 2014 have previously reached land on the Big Island.”
NHC upgraded their alert to an official Hurricane Warning for the Big Island (Hawaiʻi Island), and also issued Tropical Storm Watches for all of Maui County, which includes the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lānaʻi and Kahoʻolawe.
Lala currently has sustained winds of 60 mph and is expected to begin impacting the state Friday afternoon, delivering potentially dangerous wind gusts and rain.
Once the storm arrives on Saturday, AccuWeather’s worst-case scenario warns that parts of the Big Island could see up to 30 inches of rain, deadly flash flooding and mudslides, wind gusts reaching 100 mph and ocean surges approaching six feet.
Tropical Storm Lala (Pictured) is projected to become a hurricane be as early as August 14, threatening to become the first hurricane to make landfall on Hawaii’s Big Island
The National Weather Service projected that Tropical Storm Lala will become a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday, right before making landfall in Hawaii
The heaviest rainfall and wind damage is expected to impact the eastern side of the Big Island, however, forecasters now predict that the entire island chain will see at least two to four inches of rain this weekend, with isolated spots seeing eight inches.
AccuWeather predicted that Lala will be a Level 2 out of 5 on their ‘Real Impact’ scale for rating hurricane damage.
This means the storm will likely cause wind damage to small buildings and trees, power outages and significant property damage in coastal communities.
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva warned that the oncoming storm closely resembles Hurricane Hone, which brought severe flooding and dangerous winds to the island paradise in 2024.
‘Despite never making landfall in Hawaii, Hone brought more than two feet of rain to portions of the Big Island, causing significant flooding, as well as winds in excess of 70 mph,’ DaSilva said in a statement.
The only other hurricane believed to have made landfall on the Big Island was the 1871 Kohala Cyclone but there are only unconfirmed reports from local newspapers documenting the extreme weather event.
According to Hawaiian news outlet Big Island Now, the Kohala Cyclone was a Category 3 hurricane when it struck the north side of the Big Island on August 9, 1871.
AccuWeather has projected that Tropical Storm Lala will only reach Category 1 hurricane status overnight, meaning it will have sustained winds of 75 to 95 mph.
Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui are expected to take the most severe damage from Tropical Storm Lala
The island of Maui (Pictured) is under a Tropical Storm Watch as Lala approaches Hawaii
More than one million people are spread out across the state, particularly in communities such as Honolulu, Waikiki, Kahului and Kihei.
Hawaii is in the peak of its summer travel season, with roughly 250,000 vacationers visiting beaches and other tourist attractions on any given day from June to mid-August.
Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island and one of the state’s top vacation destinations, welcomed approximately 2.5 million visitors in 2025, drawing tourists to its world-class white and black sand beaches, luxury resorts, whale watching sites and iconic attractions such as the 64-mile-long highway known as the Road to Hāna.
Mayor Richard Bissen of Maui County said in a statement: ‘County departments have been preparing for Tropical Storm Lala, and we’re asking our community to do the same.’
‘Use today to finish securing property, making sure your home has enough food, water, supplies and medications, and check on kūpuna (grandparents), neighbors and loved ones.’
Hawaii’s Big Island (Pictured) is projected to suffer a direct hit from Lala on Saturday morning, bringing over 16 inches of rain to the island’s east side
Since modern weather records have been kept, only two tropical storms have made landfall on Hawaii’s Big Island. Lala would be the first hurricane
The National Weather Service added that local evacuations may be necessary in areas where heavy rainfall triggers floods.
‘Leave immediately if evacuation orders are given for your area,’ NWS officials urged on Friday.