Tropical Storm Lala Spares Hawaii Direct Hit But Leaves Destructive Path

Hurricane Lala weakened Sunday to a tropical storm after raking Hawaii without making landfall, its heavy rains and winds strong enough to sweep around 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island, officials said.

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Hurricane Lala transitioned to tropical storm status Sunday as it bypassed the Hawaiian Islands, passing offshore rather than making direct landfall. The weakening system nevertheless inflicted considerable destruction, displacing roughly 100 homes on the Big Island, according to local emergency officials.

Outer bands of the storm system brought torrential rain and forceful winds across Hawaii’s islands, even as the center stayed at sea. Infrastructure sustained widespread damage in communities that faced exposure to the system’s most powerful conditions.

The system’s reclassification from hurricane to tropical storm reflected its ongoing deterioration while traversing the region. National forecasters continued tracking the storm’s remnants as it moved away from Hawaiian territorial waters.

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