Hurricane Lala moved toward Hawaii’s Big Island on Saturday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds while forecasters warned of potentially deadly flooding, mudslides and damaging conditions. Some higher elevations could receive as much as 25 inches of rain.

Hurricane Lala began moving toward the Big Island on Saturday, although forecasters said it remained uncertain whether the storm would make a direct hit, something that has not happened there in 155 years.

In its newest forecast discussion, meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center said Lala appeared to be following a potentially different path, leaving it “unclear if Lala will actually make a landfall on the Big Island.”

The storm was already generating potentially life-threatening rainfall across the Big Island while maintaining sustained winds of 75 mph, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said in a video update at 11 a.m. local time.

“Some locations have already picked up more than a foot of rain,” he said. “We’re also seeing numerous hurricane-level wind gusts, especially at higher elevations.”

Brennan said the island’s windward, or eastern, side was experiencing the heaviest impacts, with elevated areas receiving the most rain while also facing the strongest winds.

Although the hurricane’s forecast cone initially pointed toward a historic direct strike on the Big Island, forecasters said Saturday morning that a developing area of low pressure to the west could steer Lala south of the island instead.

Brennan said Lala could become stronger during the next several hours, with the greatest potential for damaging conditions occurring within the following 6 to 12 hours. Once the storm interacts with the Big Island, however, forecasters expect it to weaken considerably.

Lala was positioned roughly 65 miles south-southeast of South Point on the Big Island and was traveling northwest at about 8 mph, according to the latest National Hurricane Center update.

Earlier forecasts reported that Lala’s maximum sustained winds had reached 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane. The latest update maintained that wind speed.

Forecasters expected the hurricane’s eyewall to pass over or close to the island’s southern tip by evening, bringing its strongest winds to volcanic slopes located thousands of feet above sea level.

Higher elevations, particularly around the towering Mauna Kea volcano, could receive as much as 25 inches (63.5 centimeters) of rain, according to forecasters.

Such rainfall could trigger life-threatening mudslides in mountainous communities where some residents live off the grid in improvised homes. Authorities urged those residents to seek secure shelter as quickly as possible.

Gov. Josh Green characterized Lala as an “enormous storm” and cautioned residents about destructive flooding as well as the possibility of strong winds worsening wildfire threats across the islands. Power outages had affected about 10% of Big Island customers, according to poweroutage.us.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the Big Island, while tropical storm warnings covered Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau.

Research by a University of Hawaii atmospheric scientist found that a Category 3 hurricane struck the northeastern part of the Big Island in 1871. Vanessa Almanza, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu, said the latest forecast placed Lala “very close to the southern tip of the Big Island.”

Authorities opened shelters, canceled events and advised ranchers to keep cattle in open pastures instead of buildings that could potentially collapse. Almanza emphasized that “It doesn’t take landfall to create destruction,”

The hurricane center forecast 8 to 12 inches (20.3 to 30.5 centimeters) of rain across Maui and the lower elevations of the Big Island, while other parts of the island chain could receive between 4 and 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters).

Officials Urge Residents to Take Lala Seriously

State Rep. Jeanné Kapela urged residents to stay vigilant as the storm approached. The southern portion of the Big Island is largely rural and remote, with coffee farms and cattle operations, but its population has grown because housing is relatively affordable. Kapela said she was particularly concerned about people living off the grid.

“If you feel now that your house doesn’t have a great roof or might not be able to withstand hurricane force winds, then first things first you go to a family or friend’s house and you kind of hunker down there,” she said in a text message to The Associated Press.

The state is still recovering from severe flooding that struck in March, leaving many residents and agricultural producers dealing with lingering damage. Hawaii Farm Bureau director Brian Miyamoto said farmers who have not yet recovered are concerned that Lala could cause additional losses.

Strong Winds Could Also Increase Wildfire Threat

As winds strengthened throughout the islands, Almanza warned that dry and breezy areas outside Lala’s core could face elevated wildfire danger.

In 2023, the Maui community of Lahaina was devastated by a wildfire during extreme winds as a hurricane passed well south of the island.

Kauai, located several islands northwest of the Big Island, experienced a direct hurricane strike in 1992 when Hurricane Iniki came ashore as a Category 4 storm. That occurred during an El Nino year, a climate pattern that warms Pacific waters near the equator, increases hurricane activity in the Pacific and influences weather patterns around the world.

“It did $3 billion worth of damage. It destroyed thousands of homes, and it did kill six people,” said Steven Businger, the University of Hawaii atmospheric scientist. “We just can never know if a storm is going to turn.”