Washington [US], August 17: Hawaii's Big Island faced the threat of its first direct hurricane strike in 155 years as Hurricane Lala moved across the Pacific, bringing strong winds, waves and heavy rainfall to the area.
The National Hurricane Center said Lala's maximum sustained winds had increased to 75 miles per hour (120 kilometres per hour), making it a Category 1 hurricane. The centre of the storm is expected to approach or pass over the southern tip of the island.
Authorities said a search and rescue operation involving civil defence teams, the National Guard and a Coast Guard helicopter had been launched after flash floods apparently swept several occupied homes from their foundations in coastal communities near the southern tip of the Big Island, also known as Hawaii Island.
The island's governor described the hurricane as a "massive storm" capable of causing devastating flooding and potentially triggering wildfires fuelled by strong winds across the island chain.
Historically, a Category 3 hurricane struck the north-eastern tip of the Big Island in 1871, according to research by an atmospheric scientist at the University of Hawaii.
Source: Emirates News Agency
