Hurricane Lala weakens to a tropical storm, but flooding persists in Hawaii

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Clique aqui para pesquisarpesquisarInscreva-seNotícias|Previsão do TempoO furacão Lala se enfraquece para uma tempestade tropical, mas as inundações persistem no HavaíO devastador furacão roça a Ilha Grande no Havaí nos EUA, mas evita fazer landfall.

On Saturday, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a hurricane warning for the Big Island, which has not suffered a direct hurricane landfall in 155 years.

list 1 of 3Storm Lala strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane as it nears Hawaii.

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But as tropical storm winds soared west from Maui to Oahu and Kauai on Sunday, Hurricane Lala drifted past, edging the Hawaiian coast and just escaping primary impact zones.

Still, pounding waves crashed against the shore of the Big Island. Wild squalls bent tall palm trees, and fierce sideways rain swelled rivers.

Up to one metre (three feet) of rain was expected on higher windward slopes. Such a torrent could turn rivers into turbulent floods and cause life-threatening mudslides.

The NHC said in an advisory published early Sunday morning that rainfall totals could even reach up to 90cm (35 inches) in some areas of the Big Island.

More than 40,000 households were without power, including 31,792 on the Big Island and 7,203 in Maui County, which includes the islands of Maui, Lanai ⁠and Molokai, Reuters reported.

Three hospitals had switched to generator power, Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green said Saturday evening.

Pelo menos uma pessoa morreu em um acidente de carro na área de South Point da Ilha Grande, enquanto 19 telhados foram perdidos na "enorme tempestade.

Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea, on the northern side of the island, told the Associated Press that “big gusts every few minutes rattle the whole house”.

Tropical storm warnings remain active for Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Dire conditions continue to lash the Hawaiian coast as monster waves drive coastal erosion and severe flooding plagues communities across the US state.

The westward-moving storm raises fears among residents regarding heavy floods and strong winds that could spark catastrophic wildfires in the Aloha State.