Within the span of a single week, Hawaii finds itself confronting a second storm — Tropical Storm Moke arriving before the wounds of Hurricane Lala have had any chance to heal. The Big Island, already bearing $47.6 million in damage and saturated ground, now faces rainfall that could reach fifteen inches in isolated areas, raising the specter of mudslides and life-threatening floods. It is a reminder that nature does not pause for recovery, and that resilience is tested not once, but in succession.
Tropical Storm Moke threatens Hawaii days after Hurricane Lala devastation
Potential life-threatening flooding and mudslides pose direct risks to Hawaii residents, particularly in areas already damaged by Hurricane Lala.
The ground was saturated. The slopes were unstable.
Mark
Why does a second storm hit so much harder than the first one, even if it's weaker?
Mimi
Because the ground doesn't forget. After Lala, the soil on the Big Island was already saturated, already unstable. Moke isn't arriving to dry earth—it's arriving to earth that's already at capacity. That's when mudslides happen.
Mark
So the damage compounds?
Mimi
Exactly. Forty-three million in infrastructure damage from Lala, and now Moke is coming to a landscape that's already broken. Roads that were damaged once might fail completely. Slopes that held might give way.
Mark
What does it mean for people living there right now?
Mimi
It means you're not just preparing for one storm—you're preparing for the aftermath of one storm while another arrives. You're restocking supplies not knowing when normal life resumes. You're watching the forecast knowing your house might already be compromised.
Mark
Is there any silver lining in the forecast?
Mimi
Oswant said Moke's impacts would be "a little bit more limited" than Lala's because it's passing south rather than directly over. But limited is relative when you're talking about fifteen inches of rain in isolated areas on ground that's already saturated.
Mark
How long does this last?
Mimi
Through early Tuesday. Four days of uncertainty, watching the storm track westward, waiting to see where it stalls or accelerates. Four days of not knowing if your neighborhood is next.
The Pulse
- Tropical Storm Moke is bearing down on Hawaii's Big Island just days after Hurricane Lala left roads, utilities, and homes in ruins — the ground is already too waterlogged to absorb what is coming.
- Forecasters warn of five to fifteen inches of rain on the windward and southeastern sides of the Big Island, with life-threatening mudslides a serious risk on unstable, storm-scarred slopes.
- Governor Josh Green has called on residents to restock food, medicine, and essentials, signaling that normal supply chains and services may soon be cut off for the second time in a week.
- No coastal watches or warnings had been issued by early Saturday, but the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center are urging close monitoring as Moke tracks westward through early Tuesday.
Within the span of a single week, Hawaii finds itself confronting a second storm — Tropical Storm Moke arriving before the wounds of Hurricane Lala have had any chance to heal. The Big Island, already bearing $47.6 million in damage and saturated ground, now faces rainfall that could reach fifteen inches in isolated areas, raising the specter of mudslides and life-threatening floods. It is a reminder that nature does not pause for recovery, and that resilience is tested not once, but in succession.
Hawaii had barely begun to reckon with Hurricane Lala when Tropical Storm Moke appeared on the horizon. Forecast to approach the Big Island from the south late Saturday and track westward through early Tuesday, Moke was not expected to make a direct hit — but that distinction offered little reassurance to a population still reeling.
Meteorologist Casey Oswant of the National Weather Service in Honolulu outlined what residents could expect: five to ten inches of rain on the windward and southeastern sides of the Big Island, with isolated areas potentially receiving fifteen inches or more. East Maui could see up to four inches, while the rest of the island chain would receive one to two.
The deeper danger lay beneath the surface. Lala had already inflicted $43 million in damage to roads, utilities, and public infrastructure, plus another $4.6 million in home damage. The soil was saturated, the slopes unstable. Forecasters warned that additional rainfall could trigger life-threatening flooding and mudslides across steep terrain and anywhere the earth could no longer absorb water.
Governor Josh Green gathered state officials to address the public, urging residents to replenish supplies of food, medicine, and essentials — a frank acknowledgment that the islands were about to face another period of disruption. The question hanging over Hawaii was a sobering one: how much could its infrastructure, and its people, endure within a single week.
Hawaii was bracing for a second blow. Less than a week after Hurricane Lala tore through the islands, Tropical Storm Moke was bearing down on the same stretch of ocean, forecast to arrive Saturday evening with heavy rain and dangerous winds. The National Weather Service was clear about what would happen: the Big Island would take the worst of it, just as it had before.
Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, laid out the timeline. Moke would approach from the south late Saturday and into Sunday, then track westward near the islands through early Tuesday. The storm would not deliver a direct hit, but that offered little comfort. The windward and southeastern sides of the Big Island faced rainfall of five to ten inches, with isolated pockets potentially receiving fifteen inches or more. The rest of the island chain would see one to two inches, though parts of east Maui could accumulate up to four inches.
What made this storm particularly menacing was what had come before. Hurricane Lala had already left the Big Island's infrastructure in tatters—forty-three million dollars in damage to roads, utilities, and public systems. Another four point six million dollars in home damage. The ground was saturated. The slopes were unstable. The National Weather Service issued a stark warning: flooding and mudslides were likely, especially in areas that had already been hammered by Lala's rains. The National Hurricane Center added that the additional rainfall could trigger life-threatening flooding and mudslides in steep terrain and anywhere the earth remained waterlogged.
Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, convened state officials for a news conference to urge residents to prepare. In a video released Saturday, he acknowledged the scale of what had already occurred and what was coming. There would be more damage to account for, he said, and the state would provide recovery resources, but the process would take time. He urged people to restock food, medicine, and other essentials—a practical acknowledgment that the islands were about to be cut off from normal supply chains and services.
By early Saturday morning, no coastal watches or warnings had been issued, but residents were told to monitor the storm's progress closely. The threat was real and immediate: dangerous rip currents, life-threatening flooding, mudslides in the steepest areas and in places where the ground could no longer absorb water. Hawaii was about to test how much punishment its infrastructure and its people could endure in the span of a single week.
Notable Quotes
There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and south-east sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala.— Casey Oswant, meteorologist, National Weather Service Honolulu
There's going to be a lot more to account for and we will be there to provide recovery and resources, but it's going to take some time.— Hawaii Governor Josh Green
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Climate & Environment