Update Sunday 16AUG:
Lala, was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane early Sunday morning, did not make landfall as it passed south of Hawaii. But the storm’s path was close enough to flood roads, wreck homes and topple trees.
All airports on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and Hawai‘i Island are open; however, some flights across the state may still be affected.
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Hurricane Lala forced the closure of Hawaii’s two busiest Big Island airports on Saturday, and caused at least one death.
Hilo International Airport was “in the process of closing” Saturday morning, and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport was set to close at 2 p.m., the Hawaii Department of Transportation said, adding that both facilities will be secured with security personnel sheltering in place at the terminals. Operations were expected to resume Sunday.
Commercial ports on the Big Island, in Maui County and on Kauai also were closed by the U.S. Coast Guard.
CBS News reports one person died in a car accident as Hurricane Lala lashed Hawaii's Big Island Saturday night with strong winds and heavy rain that flooded roads, although the storm was not expected to make direct landfall.
The weather system strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane on Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. Authorities say the storm was downgraded back to a tropical storm as it moved past Hawaii Big Island.
Carriers had already pulled dozens of flights ahead of the closures: Hawaiian Airlines canceled all 23-25 scheduled Hilo flights for Saturday and scrapped Kona service after 2 p.m., part of a broader wave of 54 inter-island and 11 trans-Pacific cancellations statewide. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Hawaii Island, with Tropical Storm Warnings covering Maui, Oahu and Kauai counties.
Flightaware.com on Sunday was reporting nearly 60 cancelled flights in and out of various Hawaiian airports, including Lihue on the island of Kauai. Most cancelled flights were inter-island routes.
For Canadian travellers, Global Affairs Canada is advising against all non-essential travel to Hawaii County.
Air Canada is allowing customers flying to Honolulu on 15-16AUG to change or cancel free of charge (one time only), while WestJet is offering complimentary changes or cancellations for flights to Honolulu and Maui over the same dates.
