Tropical Storm Lala Causes Mudslides, Death, Power Outages in Hawaii

As Tropical Storm Lala moved west away from Hawaii on Monday, residents on the Big Island dealt with destruction from heavy rain over the weekend.

A mudslide swept through Waiohinu, a small community on the southern point of Hawaii's Big Island, destroying about a dozen homes. In nearby Naalehu, a 90-year-old woman was found dead after being reported missing during the storm, according to Governor Josh Green and Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda. Hawaii County Police Chief Reed Mahuna stated foul play was not suspected.

The eye of then-Category 1 Hurricane Lala passed just 30 miles off the Big Island's coast over the weekend, bringing wind gusts over 80 mph and torrential rain. Some areas saw more than 3 feet of rain, with Kapalua in Maui County receiving 48 inches. As of Monday night local time, about 71,000 customers were still without power across the Hawaiian Islands, according to PowerOutage.com.

Bridges on the Big Island were washed away, and several communities were entirely cut off. Waiohinu residents relied on each other as emergency services could not reach them. One resident reported a family with a young child barely escaped their home before it was washed away. The Hawaiian Electric utility reported extensive damage to the Big Island's power transmission system.

All state and Hawaii County offices, public schools on Hawaii Island, and courts and judiciary facilities will remain closed Tuesday. Cleanup efforts began with crews repairing bridges and clearing fallen trees. Governor Green, who flew over and walked through the south part of the island, noted the flooding, mud, and rock poured through Naalehu, Pahala, and Waiohinu.

While a hurricane has not made direct landfall in Hawaii since Iniki in 1992, Lala's closest approach as a Category 1 hurricane was 30 miles southwest of South Point on the Big Island. Lala weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Sunday after lashing the state without making landfall. The storm is projected to become a hurricane again at sea and far from land by Wednesday. Additional details about the 90-year-old woman's death were not immediately available.