Extreme flooding hit Hawaii in August of 2026 in the wake of Hurricane Lala. This comes after previous record flooding earlier this year. The heaviest rainfall occurred on Laupahoehoe in the northeast corner of the Big Island where 43.54 inches of rain were recorded. Wind gusts of 140 mph were recorded on Mauna Kea volcano. Other areas experienced winds of 30-40 mph with some gusts reaching up to 60 mph. The Wailuku River reached its sixth highest level on record.

Trees fell and knocked over transmission lines taking out power to around 100,000 homes and businesses equating to about 70% of the island. Floodwaters scoured out a cemetery causing caskets and bodies to be unearthed and washed downstream. Downed trees, mudslides and washed-out roads, cut off emergency vehicles and first responders. At least one person, a 93-year-old woman, lost her life in the floodwaters.

After the storm, residents on Waiwa Road in Honolulu were cleaning up flood debris for the fourth time this year. Flood waters came down a bike path and inundated their homes. They believe a nearby junkyard which created a berm to keep water off its property has redirected water toward their properties. They claimed that since the berm was built this type of flooding has been occurring more regularly and was greatly exacerbated by the major rainfall from the hurricane. Elsewhere, across the Big Island, debris from downed trees and mudslides contributed to similar flooding elsewhere.

Typically, when hurricanes approach Hawaii, they encounter colder ocean water which dissipates heat and therefore their energy. However, Hurricane Lala encountered warmer than normal water temperatures which allowed it to maintain its destructive energy.

At the time of this writing, crews were working around the clock to restore power, clear and rebuild roads and assist in clean-up efforts. A full recovery is expected to take months if not years in some places.