Tropical Storm Lala Weakens, Leaves Hawaii With Power Outages, Damage
ContestedRigor 5315 sources
The Story
Tropical Storm Lala has weakened after passing Hawaii's islands, leaving more than 180,000 utility customers without power and at least 100 homes damaged. As of Sunday afternoon, 183,123 customers were without power across Hawaii, according to poweroutage.us. Outages on Oahu, the most populated island, had decreased from over 220,000 to approximately 130,000 by Sunday morning, state officials reported. Governor Josh Green stated that officials received reports of at least 100 homes damaged. Lala was moving west toward southwest Kauai County at about 20 mph with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph, just below the hurricane threshold of 73 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning remained in effect for Kauai County, while warnings for Maui and Oahu counties were discontinued earlier on Sunday. The storm had battered parts of Hawaii with flash floods, described by one state official as like we've never seen. Hawaiian Electric had warned on Saturday evening that repair efforts were being hampered by hurricane-force winds that toppled trees and rain that flooded roadways. Video released by the Hawaii Department of Transportation showed flood waters overtaking roads, and two homes were swept away, according to the National Weather Service. State officials urged residents to stay indoors after at least one person was reported dead in a car-related accident. Approximately 117 people were in shelters as of Sunday morning. All airports have reopened, but travelers are advised to check with airlines for updates. The storm is projected to be clear of Hawaii's islands by Monday morning.
The Spread
Contested
What they agree on
- Tropical Storm Lala weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm after passing Hawaii.
- More than 180,000 utility customers were without power across Hawaii.
- At least 100 homes were reported damaged.
- At least one person died in a car-related accident.
- The storm brought high winds and heavy rain to Hawaii.
Where they split
- Some sources report the number of power outages as over 180,000, while others state over 100,000 or more than 130,000.
- The Straits Times and Reuters provide specific figures for power outages on Oahu, stating they dropped from over 220,000 to about 130,000, while other sources do not specify this detail.
- The Epoch Times reported Lala nearing Oahu after hitting Maui and the Big Island overnight, while other sources focus on the storm's passage after brushing the Big Island.
- The Straits Times mentions a strong El Nino increasing Pacific hurricane activity and climate change amplifying extreme weather risks, a detail not present in other coverage.
Source Perspectives
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