ENVIRONMENT

Emergency Proclamation Issued as Tropical Storm Lala Threatens Hawaii County

PUBLISHED Aug 15, 2026, 10:47 AM ET

Read, Watch or Listen

Media Bias Meter

Sources: 23

Left 9%

Center 91%

Sources: 23

Tropical Storm Lala was bringing heavy rain and winds to Hawaii's Big Island Saturday as forecasters expected it to strengthen. The National Hurricane Center had a hurricane warning for Hawaii County and tropical storm warnings for Maui County, Oahu and Kauai County. At 2 a.m. HST, Lala was about 140 miles southeast of South Point, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, moving west-northwest at 13 mph. Forecasts called for 10 to 20 inches of rain on the Big Island, locally reaching 25 inches, with life-threatening flooding and mudslides possible in steep terrain. Dangerous surf, rip currents and coastal flooding were also expected. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green issued a state emergency proclamation, while Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda issued a separate emergency proclamation for Lala. If Lala makes landfall as a hurricane, it could be the Big Island's first since 1871. Officials opened shelters and urged residents to finish preparations.

By Lauren Mitchell | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

On August 11, Lala formed, prompting weather monitoring near Hawaii.
On August 13, watches expanded as Lala strengthened near Hawaii.
On August 14, hurricane warning covered Big Island before landfall.
On August 14, Governor Green proclaimed emergency as agencies mobilized.
On August 14, County Mayor Alameda issued Lala-related emergency proclamation.
On August 15, Lala began affecting Big Island with rain.
On August 15, warnings covered Hawaii County and surrounding islands.
On August 15, rainfall forecasts reached 25 inches in areas.
On August 16, impacts spread across Hawaii if forecasts hold.
Over coming days, flooding and mudslides could disrupt roads, utilities.

News Intelligence

Immediate US impact: Big Island faces dangerous winds, flooding, travel disruptions, and outages.
Possible long-term US impact: Repeated extreme storms could strain Hawaii infrastructure, agriculture, and recovery.
Reader priority: Prioritize NHC, NWS, county alerts, and verified reporting across outlets.
Most Affected: Big Island residents, rural communities, farmers, travelers, utilities, and officials.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 23
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 2
Neutral:: 21

Explain Framing

Left: Left framing emphasized vulnerable residents, infrastructure risks, climate-related disaster preparedness. Center: Center framing emphasized warnings, forecasts, official actions, and verified impacts. Right: Right framing emphasized preparedness, public safety, resilience, and government response.