At least one dead in wake of Tropical Storm Lala, while over 100,000 remain without power in Hawaii
Flooding and high winds left communities cut off on the Big Island, where roads were blocked by debris and several cemeteries were affected.
File photo of Hawaii
At least one person died in the wake of Tropical Storm Lala's passage through Hawaii, while nearly 104,000 customers remained without power on Monday after the storm caused flooding, high winds and fallen trees from Honolulu to the Big Island.
According to NBC News, communities in the southernmost part of the Big Island were cut off after communications were lost and several roads were blocked by debris. Floodwaters also affected some cemeteries.
Authorities attributed one death to the storm. The victim was a 90-year-old woman who had been reported missing in Naalehu and whose body was found on Monday. No further details regarding the circumstances of her death were immediately provided.
Lala weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm last Sunday after affecting the state without making landfall. Heavy rain caused flooding and left a landscape covered in mud as the storm moved past the main Hawaiian islands.
Flooding causes the most damage
“It’s the flood and the mud and the rock the poured through Naalehu, Pahala, Waiohinu,” he said. “These communities have a lot of cleanup to do and they’re going to need a lot of support.”
Authorities previously reported that about 100 homes were swept away from their foundations and destroyed.
Recovery efforts began with crews working to repair bridges and remove fallen trees. Public schools statewide, some private schools, and state offices remained closed on Monday, while schools and county offices on the Big Island will remain closed on Tuesday.
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