Hawaii braces for rare hurricane landfall as Tropical Storm Lala nears

Tropical Storm Lala began battering Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday, with forecasters warning it could strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making its closest approach. Governor Josh Green said damaging winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and dangerous surf were possible statewide. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Big Island, which has not experienced a direct hurricane landfall in 155 years.

Forecasters predicted 8 to 12 inches of rain for Maui and lower elevations of the Big Island, with up to 25 inches at higher elevations. The storm brings risks of mudslides, fallen trees and power outages. The last major hurricane to hit Hawaii was Iniki in 1992, which killed six people and caused billions of dollars in damage.