Tropical Storm Lala weakens after battering Hawaii, leaving one dead and 117,000 without power

Tropical Storm Lala weakened after battering Hawaii over the weekend, leaving one person dead and knocking out power to more than 117,000 customers across the islands, according to utility and government officials. Crews were working to restore electricity and clear debris on Wednesday, with the focus on remote areas that suffered significant infrastructure damage.

The storm, which had been a hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm, caused destructive flooding as its outer bands moved through the archipelago. Officials confirmed one fatality: a 90-year-old woman who had been reported missing in Naalehu on the Big Island and was found dead on Monday.

The most immediate challenge for recovery is the widespread power outage. Hawaiian Electric reported that as of 7 a.m. HST on August 17, approximately 117,300 of its customers were without electricity statewide. By August 19, about 27,700 customers on Hawaii Island alone were still without power. Utility crews have been working around the clock, with helicopters and drones deployed to assess damage in rugged, hard-to-reach terrain. As of August 19, Hawaiian Electric stated that eleven of the 21 transmission or subtransmission...