Hurricane Lala drenched Hawaii with enough water to fill nearly 2 million Olympic-sized pools
Hurricane Lala dumped the equivalent of 1.3 trillion gallons of water onto Hawaii from Aug. 14 to 16, and it was the most significant tropical cyclone to impact the state in decades.
Hawaiian Islands brace for intense rainfall and flash flooding
🌧️ ISLAND SOAKER: FOX Weather Senior Correspondent Robert Ray reports from Hilo, Hawaii, where people are bracing for even nastier weather as heavy rainfall is on the way and has triggered a Flash Flood Watch. #Hawaii #Rain #Flooding
THE TAKEAWAY
- Hurricane Lala dumped the equivalent of almost two million Olympic-sized pools of water on Hawaii.
- Governor Josh Green signed a request for a presidential emergency declaration for Hawaii.
HAWAII – The effects of Hurricane Lala were nothing short of humongous as the storm dumped around 1.9 million Olympic-size pools of water on Hawaii during the severe weather event.
Hurricane Lala was a deadly storm that still leaves thousands of residents in Hawaii without power, as the storm slammed the Hawaiian Islands with extreme amounts of rain, resulting in flooding in some areas.
Lala dumped the equivalent of almost two million Olympic-sized pools of water — or 1.3 trillion gallons — onto Hawaii from Aug. 14 to 16, and it was the most significant tropical cyclone to impact the state in decades.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HURRICANE COLLIDES WITH HAWAII’S MASSIVE VOLCANOES?
Torrential rain from Lala pushed many areas into flood stage and triggered mudslides in parts of the Hawaiian Islands.
Watch: Hurricane Lala Washes Away Part Of Māmalahoa Highway On Hawaii's Big Island
🌊WASHED AWAY: Parts of Māmalahoa Highway on Hawaii's Big Island were washed away by torrential rainfall and flooding from Hurricane Lala over the weekend. More than 3 feet of rain fell around the community of Nā`ālehu, which was still cut off early Monday.
"While Lala never made an official landfall, its close pass as a Category 1 hurricane brought average statewide rainfall of 11.4 inches," the University of Hawaii said. "Hawaiʻi County received 66% of the total rainfall volume — equivalent to 1.2 million pools (833 million gallons)."
Locations along the Hamakua coast recorded a daily maximum rainfall of 32.1 inches on Aug. 15 and did not let up for days.
Most counties in the state reached peak rainfall by Aug. 16, with locations such as Maui County receiving the equivalent of 203,595 pools worth of precipitation, according to data collected by the University of Hawaii.
![A flooded road is seen the day after Hurricane Lala in Hilo, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. The Category 1 hurricane brought heavy rain and strong winds to the island of Hawaii before moving away without making landfall.]()
Image 1 of 7A flooded road is seen the day after Hurricane Lala in Hilo, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. The Category 1 hurricane brought heavy rain and strong winds to the island of Hawaii before moving away without making landfall. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle)
![Vehicles make their way through a flooded intersection in front of the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 16, 2026. Hurricane Lala was pulling away from Hawaii's Big Island early Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding. The heavy rain and flood risk will then spread westward across the island chain on Sunday, according to the NHC.]()
Image 2 of 7Vehicles make their way through a flooded intersection in front of the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 16, 2026. Hurricane Lala was pulling away from Hawaii's Big Island early Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding. The heavy rain and flood risk will then spread westward across the island chain on Sunday, according to the NHC. (Eugene Tanner / AFP)
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Image 3 of 7Major flooding in Waiohinu, Hawaii, from Hurricane Lala on Saturday, Aug. 15. (Hawaii Department of Transportation )
![Police officers from the Honolulu Police Department block a flooded street near the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 16, 2026. Hurricane Lala was pulling away from Hawaii's Big Island early Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding. The heavy rain and flood risk will then spread westward across the island chain on Sunday, according to the NHC.]()
Image 4 of 7Police officers from the Honolulu Police Department block a flooded street near the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 16, 2026. Hurricane Lala was pulling away from Hawaii's Big Island early Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding. The heavy rain and flood risk will then spread westward across the island chain on Sunday, according to the NHC. ( Eugene Tanner / AFP)
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Image 5 of 7A resident stops on a rural road as it floods in Volcano Village on Hawaii Island, on August 15, 2026. Hurricane Lala on Saturday lashed Hawaii's Big Island with heavy rain and strong winds, as forecasters warned of potentially dangerous flooding across the US Pacific island state. Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane at around 9:00 am local time (1900 GMT), generating winds of up to 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour). (Photo by Jill K. Briggs / AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Image 6 of 7Major flooding in Waiohinu, Hawaii, from Hurricane Lala on Saturday, Aug. 15. (Hawaii Department of Transportation )
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Image 7 of 7Flooding in Waimea Big Island, Hawaii from Hurricane Lala on Saturday, Aug. 15. (Christina Butler)
"Storms like Lala remind us why sustained, high-quality rainfall measurement matters so much in Hawaiʻi," Tom Giambelluca, director of the Hawaiʻi Mesonet, said.
WHY IS IT SO RARE FOR HURRICANES TO MAKE LANDFALL ON HAWAII?
Hurricane Lala produced winds as strong as 80 mph during its peak, which led to downed power lines and trees across the islands.
At the height of the storm, over 200,000 residents across the islands were without power.
Downed trees and power lines in Waiohinu, HI, from Hurricane Lala on Saturday, Aug. 15.
(Hawaii Department of Transportation )
As additional severe storms approach, more flooding is expected across the Hawaiian Islands due to the high volume of rain produced by Lala, leaving the ground oversaturated and prone to flooding.
Government officials report that hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed, along with numerous roads and bridges.
HURRICANE SEASON 2026: THESE ARE THE STORM NAMES YOU'LL SEE THIS SEASON
Officials warn that more trees and debris could fall on roadways as cleanup efforts slowly begin and crews try to clear paths for travelers.
A road damaged by Hurricane Lala is seen in Mountain View, Hawaii, on August 16, 2026. Hurricane Lala was pulling away from Hawaii's Big Island early Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding. The heavy rain and flood risk will then spread westward across the island chain on Sunday, according to the NHC.
(Jill K. Briggs / AFP / Getty Images)
HEAVY RAIN TO SOAK SOUTHEAST, MID-SOUTH STARTING TUESDAY AS FLASH FLOOD THREAT RAMPS UP
In the aftermath and amid a new threat, Governor Josh Green has signed a formal request for a presidential emergency declaration for Hawaii following Lala, seeking federal assistance to protect public health and safety.