Two Storms Hit Hawaii's Big Island

Hawaii faced two storms in one week, a rare weather event. Hurricane Lala struck first, dropping over 30 inches of rain quickly. The heavy rain caused serious floods and mudslides across the Big Island. Roads and bridges were destroyed by the rushing water. Just days later, Tropical Storm Moke passed by, adding more rain. Moke stayed offshore, about 320 miles from Hilo, but still soaked the islands. Experts say this back-to-back storm pattern has happened only once before since 1949. Emergency officials are now helping families find temporary housing. A call center answers questions daily from nine a.m. to six p.m.

Hawaii's Big Island is recovering from an unusual one-two punch of tropical weather this month, as Tropical Storm Moke followed closely behind Hurricane Lala. Lala never made landfall, but it dumped more than 30 inches of rain on parts of the island in a short period, triggering floods and mudslides that destroyed roads and bridges. Just days later, Moke passed roughly 320 miles south-southwest of Hilo, close enough to add heavy rainfall to communities still cleaning up from Lala's damage. According to weather officials, this kind of back-to-back storm impact has occurred only once before in Hawaii since record-keeping began in 1949. The rarity of the event has drawn attention from climate researchers who track how storm patterns may be shifting. For residents, the immediate concern is more practical: finding safe, temporary housing while roads and bridges are repaired. State emergency management officials have opened a call center to help families apply for assistance, staffed daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Local crews continue working to clear debris and restore access to isolated communities cut off by the flooding. Hawaii's geography, a chain of islands far out in the Pacific, means storm recovery often takes longer than on the mainland because supplies and workers must be shipped or flown in. Officials have not yet released a full cost estimate for the damage from both storms combined. Meteorologists say the Pacific hurricane season, which typically runs through November, could still produce additional systems that pass near the islands. Residents are being urged to stay prepared and monitor official alerts as recovery continues.