Hurricane Weakens to Tropical Storm on Big Island, Causing Power Outages and Flooding

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Hurricane Weakens to Tropical Storm on Big Island, Causing Power Outages and Flooding
Photo: PBS NewsHour
politics· A press review of 10 outlets
  1. The storm is bringing heavy rain and damaging wind to the Big Island. Lala has weakened to a tropical storm, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), after it earlier had strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane, resulting in flooding across the Hawaiian Islands and causing at least one death.

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    NPR News

    What's next for Lala Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau as the storm moves west, raising the possibility of destructive flooding and even wildfires kicked up by strong winds.

    Associated Press

    What’s next for Lala Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau as the storm moves west, raising the possibility of destructive flooding and even wildfires kicked up by strong winds.

    New York Post

    Lala was approaching the southern end of the Big Island, where forecasters warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

    BBC News

    Published Hawaii is facing flash floods that may have swept some homes away after category one Hurricane Lala skirted Big Island, as it continues to grapple with strong winds and torrential rain.

    The Daily Wire

    Lala, since downgraded to tropical storm status, battered several of the islands with strong winds and heavy rains without officially making landfall on any of them. Roughly 65% of electric customers on the Big Island were without power Sunday morning, and more than 130,000 households were dark across Hawaii’s three largest islands, according to NPR. A flood watch remains in effect for Oahu, Kauai and Niihau through late Sunday night.

    PBS NewsHour

    Lala is again a tropical storm, sending drenching rain and winds across the Hawaiian islands Tropical storm conditions were spreading westward Sunday from Maui to Oahu and then Kauai.

    Reuters

    Hurricane Lala nears Hawaii's Big Island​, governor warns - Reuters Hurricane Lala nears Hawaii's Big Island​, governor warns  Reuters

  2. More than 130,000 households were without power Sunday morning across Hawaii’s three largest islands, according to the utility tracker poweroutage.us. At least three hospitals were operating on generator power, Gov. Josh Green said.

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    New York Post

    More than 130,000 households were without power Sunday morning across Hawaii’s three largest islands, according to the utility tracker poweroutage.us. At least three hospitals were operating on generator power, Green said.

    NPR News

    More than 130,000 households were without power Sunday morning across Hawaii's three largest islands, according to the utility tracker poweroutage.us. At least three hospitals were operating on generator power, Gov. Josh Green said.

    BBC News

    Green said three hospitals had also lost power but had backup generators. In Maui, some residents have also been left without water supply as of Saturday afternoon.

    ABC News

    More than 129,700 utility customers remain without power across Hawaii on Sunday morning, with the majority in Hawaii County, according to PowerOutage.us.

  3. Residents prepared for worst As the hurricane approached, shelters were opened, events were canceled and ranchers were urged to leave their cattle in pastures rather than structures that might collapse. Many residents are still dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods in March and were taking precautions.

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    Associated Press

    Residents prepared for worst As the hurricane approached, shelters were opened, events were canceled and ranchers were urged to leave their cattle in pastures rather than structures that might collapse. Many residents are still dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods in March and were taking precautions.

    BBC News

    Residents were repeatedly urged by officials to prepare for the storm early. Local message boards on Facebook show residents filling bags with sand to protect their homes and inquiring about whether stores remained open in the early hours of Saturday.

  4. Mike Caputo, who lives in Keaau, near the Big Island’s east coast, said his power generator was ready and a 10,000-gallon (37.8 kiloliter) home water tank was full. His main concern was flash flooding and fallen trees, especially albizia, a common tree.

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    NPR News

    Mike Caputo, who lives in Keaau, near the Big Island's east coast, said his power generator was ready and a 10,000-gallon (37.8 kiloliter) home water tank was full. His main concern was flash flooding and fallen trees, especially albizia, a common tree.

  5. Warnings posted everywhere Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea, on the northern side of the island, said "big gusts every few minutes rattle the whole house."

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    Associated Press

    Warnings posted everywhere Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea, on the northern side of the island, said “big gusts every few minutes rattle the whole house.”

  6. “Officers are directing traffic and closing unsafe roadways. Crews have responded to numerous downed trees and debris, including multiple trees that fell along Pali Highway,” the statement read. “HPD is also coordinating with the Hawaiʻi National Guard and other first responder agencies. National Guard all-terrain vehicles capable of navigating high water and flooded areas have been strategically pre-positioned across the island and are ready for rapid deployment if needed.”

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    ABC News

    About 180 Hawaii National Guard members were activated and positioned across the state to support rescue operations. High-water vehicles were also placed in each county, and additional military and federal resources were available if needed.

  7. The flight chaos stretched across Hawaii. Saturday’s service disruptions included:

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    BBC News

    According to the governor, 190 flights have been postponed. At Ellison Onizuka Kona International - Big Island's largest airport - 40% of flights were grounded on Saturday, according to tracker Flightaware. Some 80% of flights were called off at its other main airport, Hilo International.

From the margins

7 details only one outlet reported

Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.

  1. 01 New York Times

    As Lala Lashes Hawaii, the Atlantic Hurricane Season Remains Calm. So Far. An El Niño weather pattern is expected to limit activity into the fall, providing a stabilizing force.

  2. 02 ABC News

    At one point, rain was falling at a rate of 3 to 5 inches per hour in some areas, according to the NWS.

  3. 03 New York Post

    Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm as of Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

  4. 04 The Daily Wire

    Honolulu Police released a statement, warning residents not to travel unless absolutely necessary and noting that dispatchers had already fielded more than 100 storm-related calls.

  5. 05 BBC News

    Meteorologist Jennifer Myers, who lives in Hilo, eastern Big Island, said landslides had already cut off some roads, while power lines had been ripped down by falling trees.

  6. 06 Associated Press

    The possibility the island could witness its first direct hit from a hurricane in 155 years faded as the eye of the storm passed the island’s southern tip. Landfall is not expected at this point, said National Weather Service meteorologist Joseph Clark.

  7. 07 NBC News

    Now Playing Hawaii braces for impact from Lala 02:14 UP NEXT Hundreds evacuated as Indiana flood threat expands 02:05 Manhunt for trio accused of ‘tomb raiding’ in multiple states 01:24 Good News: ‘Spectrum Sailing’ camp promotes confidence and community 01:38 Growing debate as major school district scales back screen time 02:29 5 killed in deadly Michigan shooting spree 01:35 Iran urges U.S. to ‘accept the reality of defeat’ 02:12 Dozens killed after powerful Indonesia earthquake 01:14 Army temporarily grounds Apache helicopter training flights 00:54 Tropical Storm Lala set to slam Hawaii 01:04 Trump downplays concerns about living conditions on aircraft carrier 01:33 Flood threat rising in the Midwest 01:47 Great Americans: A conversation with Statue of Liberty park ranger Reneel Langdon 02:54 Surveillance video shows brazen art heist in Italy 01:16 Shots fired on Houston street 01:01 Luigi Mangione admits to killing CEO 02:44 Granddaughter drives through the night to surprise grandma at final chemo treatment 01:15 Pregnant women having to travel further to deliver 02:37 USS Abraham Lincoln to head home amid concerns about living conditions 01:33 Luigi Mangione expected to plead guilty in federal case 02:23

Assembled from 7 corroborated claims drawn from 10 independent outlets. Every passage above is taken verbatim — Dorothy doesn't paraphrase or summarize.

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Coverage by Perspective

Lean-Left
3
Center
10
Lean-Right
3
Right
1

Source Similarity

Connections show how similarly each outlet covered this story. Thicker lines = more similar framing.

Sources (10)

  • dailywire
  • ap
  • bbc
  • reuters
  • npr
  • nyt
  • nypost
  • abc
  • nbc
  • pbs

Original Articles (17)

Lean Left As Lala Lashes Hawaii, the Atlantic Hurricane Season Remains Calm. So Far. — New York Times
Center More than 100,000 without power in Hawaii as Lala downgraded to tropical storm - Reuters — Reuters
Center Lala is again a tropical storm, sending drenching rain and winds across Hawaii — NPR News
Lean Left Lala weakens to tropical storm, brings heavy rain, wind, flooding to Hawaii — ABC News
Center Lala is again a tropical storm, sending drenching rain and winds across the Hawaiian islands — PBS NewsHour
Lean Right Tropical storm Lala kills 1, sweeps away homes as flooding hits Hawaii — New York Post
Right Hurricane Lala Kills One, Rips Homes Off Their Foundations In Hawaii — The Daily Wire
Center Lala is again a tropical storm, sending drenching rain and winds across the Hawaiian islands - AP News — Associated Press
Center Hurricane Lala sparks flash floods in Hawaii as strong winds and rain persist — BBC News
Center Hurricane Lala skirts Hawaii's Big Island without making landfall as heavy wind, rain lash region - AP News — Associated Press
Lean Right Hurricane Lala leaves thousands without power in Hawaii amid ‘life-threatening’ conditions — New York Post
Lean Right Travel chaos at LAX as hurricane cancels Hawaii-bound flights — New York Post
Center Hurricane Lala nears Hawaii's Big Island​, governor warns - Reuters — Reuters
Lean Left Hawaii braces for impact from Lala — NBC News
Center Hurricane Lala nears Hawaii's Big Island​, governor warns - Reuters — Reuters
Center Hurricane Lala leaves thousands without power in Hawaii amid 'life-threatening' conditions - Reuters — Reuters
Center Lala strengthens into a hurricane and bears down on Hawaii's Big Island with heavy rain, winds — PBS NewsHour