Thousands of residents across the Hawaiian Islands woke up to darkness on Monday as Tropical Storm Lala left a trail of destruction in its wake. Although the storm weakened from a hurricane before passing the state without officially making landfall, its powerful winds and torrential rains proved devastating. Hawaiian Electric reported that roughly 117,300 customers lost power after trees, utility poles, and transmission towers were knocked over from downtown Honolulu to the Big Island. The infrastructure on the Big Island took a particularly hard hit, suffering what officials described as extensive damage to its power transmission system.

The aftermath has turned much of the region into a muddy landscape, with flash flooding isolating remote communities and forcing the closure of public schools and state offices throughout the archipelago. On the Big Island’s northeast coast in Laupahoehoe, rain gauges recorded a staggering 43.54 inches of precipitation. While no deaths have been reported, the sheer volume of water was enough to sweep approximately 100 homes right off their foundations. High altitude areas felt the brunt of the wind, with gusts reaching 140 mph atop Mauna Kea, while those at lower elevations dealt with consistent tropical storm force winds.

Recovery efforts are now underway as crews work urgently to repair broken bridges and clear debris from roadways. For a period on Monday morning, communication lines were so severely impacted that 911 services became temporarily unavailable on the Big Island, though police confirmed most systems returned to normal by the afternoon. Despite the receding storm clouds, officials are warning citizens to avoid murky brown waters in the ocean due to dangerous rip currents and potential landslides triggered by saturated soil.

Looking ahead, meteorological experts say there are no more immediate threats as Lala continues its path westward toward open sea, where it is expected to regain hurricane strength by Wednesday. In response to the devastation, Senator Brian Schatz has already reached out to federal transportation officials to secure emergency funding for road repairs and cleanup operations. While National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Blood noted that there are no looming hazards remaining for Hawaii, the long process of restoring electricity and rebuilding homes has only just begun.