Live updates: Lala hours away from potentially historic hurricane landfall on Hawaii's Big Island

Key Points:

• Tropical Storm Lala is impacting Hawaii, particularly the Big Island, with heavy rain, strong winds up to 65 mph, and dangerous storm surge expected; hurricane-force conditions may develop later today as the storm nears South Point.
• The National Hurricane Center warns of life-threatening flash flooding, mudslides, and coastal flooding due to up to 30 inches of rain in mountainous areas, 1-3 feet storm surge, and 25-foot ocean swells affecting all islands through the weekend.
• Officials have activated emergency measures including opening evacuation shelters, closing schools and public facilities statewide, clearing drainage channels, and deploying the National Guard to prepare for severe impacts.
• Forecasters note that while Lala’s center may track slightly south of the Big Island, its broad wind and rain field will still cause catastrophic effects across the Hawaiian Islands, with wind gusts potentially reaching 100 mph in elevated areas.
• This event could mark the first modern-era hurricane landfall on the Big Island, a rare occurrence not documented since 1871, underscoring the severity and historic nature of the storm’s threat.